Ozempic may help people with serious mental health condition: study

It’s proving to be way more than just a skinny jab.With millions of people of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, it’s becoming increasingly clear that their benefits extend well beyond weight loss and treating type 2 diabetes.Now, new research has found that it could be a game changer for people living with serious mental illness.Nearly 7 million US adults have bipolar disorder, a condition marked by extreme shifts in mood and energy levels — namely, the “high” of mania and the low of extreme depression.Both types of episodes can result in hospitalization: Depression may cause thoughts of or attempts at suicide, while severe mania can cause psychosis, dangerous impulsivity or an inability to care for oneself.But a new study from Griffith University in Australia found that people with bipolar disorder who take a GLP-1 have lower rates of hospitalization, seemingly keeping more extreme symptoms in check.The researchers looked at data from 15,000 over a 15-year period and found that taking semaglutide — sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy — had a 21% lower risk of being hospitalized for psychiatric reasons.Professor Mark Taylor, who led the study, described these as “significantly lower rates.”“The findings add to growing evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists may have benefits beyond diabetes and obesity treatment, and could represent a promising new avenue for bipolar research,” he said ina.press release.The researched suggests that GLP-1 signaling may protect the brain by reducing inflammation, cellular stress and other biological processes that are linked to bipolar disorder, potentially improving mood stability.Drugs like Ozempic are well-known for quieting “food noise” in the brain and rewiring dopamine hits, which may also help keep the chemical stable over time in those with bipolar disorder.However, only semaglutide was associated with reduced psychiatric hospitalization risk.

Liraglutide (sold under the brand names Victoza and Saxe...