February 8, 2024 – People who take a well-liked drug for weight reduction or to treat diabetes are less prone to have diabetes, in response to an evaluation of the health records of tens of millions of individuals.
The Results were published this week by researchers at electronic health records company Epic. Researchers looked for brand new diagnoses of depression or anxiety in individuals who had began taking medications in a course called “medication.” GLP-1 agonists This may help control blood sugar levels or treat obesity by mimicking hormone levels within the body that may affect appetite and blood sugar. Many individuals who take the medication experience significant weight reduction.
The researchers found that diabetics who began taking most versions of GLP-1 agonists were 11 to 65% less prone to be newly diagnosed with depression than diabetics who didn’t take any of the drugs . The best reduction within the likelihood of a brand new depression diagnosis was seen in individuals who took tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.
A reduced likelihood of being diagnosed with anxiety was also observed in diabetics after they began taking a GLP-1 agonist, in comparison with diabetics who weren’t taking either medication. Again, tirzepatide showed the best reduction in odds, with people taking this medication having a 60% reduction in the percentages of a brand new anxiety diagnosis.
An identical reduction within the likelihood of recent depression or anxiety diagnoses was seen in individuals who didn’t have diabetes but took GLP-1 agonists, for instance for weight reduction.
The connection between mind and body is well supported by research.
“Thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes can influence how healthy your body is,” says one Summary from the CDC on the connection between diabetes and depression. “Untreated mental health problems can make diabetes worse, and problems with diabetes can make mental health problems worse. But fortunately, when one gets better, the other gets better too.”
This latest evaluation included the drugs dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide. Drugs used for weight reduction or diabetes treatment include the brand names Byetta, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Trulicity, Wegovy, and Zepbound. Researchers also searched for links between depression or anxiety diagnoses in people taking liraglutide (sold under the brand names Saxenda and Victoza), but found that the likelihood of being diagnosed with depression or anxiety after starting liraglutide increased. little or no change.
The findings are timely as regulators within the United States and Europe investigate reports of suicidal thoughts amongst drug users. In January, the FDA announced that a preliminary investigation found no increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions, however the agency “could not definitively rule out that a low risk exists; Therefore, the FDA continues to investigate this issue.”
This latest evaluation from Epic Research only examined health records, was not published in a peer-reviewed journal, and couldn’t determine a definitive role the medications could have played within the diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorder. It just isn’t known whether participants within the study had symptoms of depression or anxiety before starting the medication.
“These results show that these medications may serve a dual purpose for patients, but we do not yet understand them well enough to say that these medications should be given to treat anxiety or depression outside of diabetes or weight control,” says Kersten Bartelt, a researcher employed by Epic, said ABC News.