GLP-1 Drugs Affect 175 Health Conditions, Benefits Heart But Pose Risk To Kidneys

Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound And Mounjaro-you must have heard at least one of these names in recent times. All the aforementioned medications are GLP-1 drugs, which have become widely popular due to their property to suppress hunger and trigger weight loss. Moreover, various studies have also shown that they have other health benefits like pain relief and suppression of alcoholism amongst other things.

Now, a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine has examined the effects of GLP-1 drugs on 175 different health outcomes. "Given these drugs' newness and skyrocketing popularity, it is important to systematically examine their effects on all body systems — leaving no stone unturned — to understand what they do and what they don't do," said Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, the study's senior author and a clinical epidemiologist and nephrologist, in a statement.

How Was The Research Conducted?

For their study, researchers at Washington Universal School of Medicine looked at the health records of 2 million people who were treated for diabetes between October 2017 and December 2023. Some of the veterans took GLP-1 medications, while others were given more traditional drugs. They concluded patients who took GLP-1 drugs, showed significant improvement in cognitive and behavioural health. These benefits included reduced risks of seizures as well as a lower risk to addiction to substances such as alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, and opioids.

Taking GLP-1 medication also significantly benefited people suffering from neurodegenerative disorders. Researchers said that people taking the GLP-1 drugs also experienced decreased risks of suicidal ideation, self-harm, bulimia, and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Not only, that it was found that these weight loss drugs also mitigated the risks of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.

On the other hand, GLP-1 medications also had some downsides, including an increased risk of gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and in rare cases paralysis of the stomach. In addition, there was evidence that GLP-1 drugs also raised the risk of pancreatitis and kidney conditions.

"GLP-1RA drugs can have broad health benefits. However, they are not without risks. Our findings underscore the possibility for wider applications for these medications but also highlight important risks that should be carefully monitored in people taking these drugs," researchers said.

What DO GLP-1 Medications Do?

GLP-1—a natural hormone produced in the intestines that regulates blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. Now, every time you eat, your body produces various hormones, including GLP-1. These are called post-nutrition hormones, and help you absorb the energy you just consumed. GLP-1 travels to your pancreas, prompting it to produce insulin. It also travels to the hypothalamus in your brain, which gives you the feeling of being full or satiated.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy imitate this hormone, thereby, silencing the food chatter in the brain. Interestingly, for some people this food chatter is really quiet ( people with low appetite) and for others it is an outbrurst, (people who generally binge eat.) So with Ozempic, silencing this self-talk in the brain, people tend to lose their appetite and eventually weight.

However, it is important to note that losing weight includes not just fat but muscle as well. Losing too much muscle can lead to reduced strength and a shorter life span. Notably, records show that most people who start taking them stop it at 12 weeks; therefore, it is important for some but not for others.