Weight loss, diabetes drugs can cause mood changes: What to know about behavioral side effects

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), medications that help control type 2 diabetes and obesity, can have a profound impact on physical wellness – but what about mental health?Some examples of these medications include semaglutides, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, and liraglutide, like Victoza and Saxenda.Various studies have pointed toward GLP-1 RAs causing mental health complications, such as anxiety and depression.The National Institutes of Health (NIH) published research in June 2024 that considered the correlation between semaglutide therapy and “exacerbating mood disturbances.”The study highlighted the association of negative mood changes in patients with type 2 diabetes with a history of depression, warning healthcare providers to be aware of this “potential risk.”But a more recent study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, suggested that these mood changes were linked to genetic variations across diverse populations and ancestries within the U.K.Biobank.While GLP-1 RA variants had “consistent cardiometabolic effects” across all groups, the researchers said the negative impacts on mental health were “more varied,” concluding that any behavioral changes are “likely not acting directly through [the medications].”Dr.

Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon who often prescribes GLP-1 RAs to his patients, believes that there is “no consistent causal relationship” between these medications and mental illness.“Researchers assayed genetic markers across almost half a million people from different backgrounds in search of a link between the gene behind GLP-1 receptors and mental health problems like depression, anxiety or suicidal ideation — and they didn’t find it,” he summarized.People who are obese or battling type 2 diabetes are “often already depressed” without the medication, the doctor pointed out.“These conditions take a toll – physically, emotionally and socially,” he said.“So, yes, a large portio...