A Good Side Effect: Swedes Treated for Diabetes Became Less Depressed 0 9

According to studies, diabetes medications may help reduce the risk of worsening anxiety and depression. Type 2 diabetes affects more than 800 million people worldwide, and patients with this condition have about twice the likelihood of developing depression compared to others.

GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, are widely used for diabetes and obesity. While they have proven effective in weight loss and blood sugar control, their impact on mental health is not fully understood. An international group of scientists analyzed medical data from nearly 95,000 patients in Sweden who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders and who took diabetes medications between 2009 and 2022. The study compared periods of taking GLP-1 medications and other drugs with periods of their absence. The assessment of worsening mental health was conducted based on indicators such as hospitalizations in psychiatric facilities, psychiatric-related hospital stays, instances of self-harm, and suicides. New cases of depression and anxiety disorders were also considered.

Results published in The Lancet Psychiatry showed that semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) and liraglutide (Saxenda) are associated with a lower risk of worsening mental health in individuals with anxiety and depression. Semaglutide reduced the risk of deterioration by approximately 42%, while liraglutide reduced it by 18%. Other drugs in this group, such as exenatide and dulaglutide, did not show similar effects. The use of semaglutide was also associated with a 44% reduction in the risk of worsening depression, a 38% reduction in anxiety, and a 47% reduction in substance use disorders. The authors concluded that in cases of combined diabetes, obesity, depression, and anxiety, semaglutide, and to a lesser extent liraglutide, may be considered as potential dual-effect agents.

Additionally, a separate study found that taking semaglutide before pregnancy increased the risk of preterm birth by 84%, while taking liraglutide increased it by 70%. An analysis of data from nearly 500,000 women from Danish medical registries showed that 529 of them were taking these medications at the time of conception. It was established that unintentional exposure to GLP-1 medications in early pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (before 37 weeks) when treating diabetes, but not when used for weight loss. Taking semaglutide increased the absolute risk of preterm birth by approximately 11%, while liraglutide increased it by 9%.