Jab for joy?
A landmark study of nearly 30,000 patients found that the use of GLP-1 medications, which include Wegovy and Ozempic, could have “an antidepressant effect,” suggesting that these drugs could one day be used in mental health therapy.
And while some people may have a boost in mental health and self-image from weight loss, that’s not actually what researchers think is the cause.
Semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — is part of a class of drugs that mimic the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone, making users feel fuller for longer.
Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 medications have become wildly popular due to their ability to help people lose weight by slowing digestion and reducing appetite. Since flooding the market, myriad, additional health benefits have been reported.
Recent studies have shown drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic may help fight kidney disease and could be beneficial in preventing and treating substance abuse.
In a clinical trial, Wegovy use was linked to improved exercise ability in people with diabetes and heart failure. Last March, Wegovy was approved to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems in patients who are overweight or obese.
Preliminary research has also suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation, meaning drugs like Ozempic could potentially guard against Alzheimer’s.
Add now increased happiness may be added to the growing list of health benefits associated with GLP-1 medications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 5 adults in the US have been diagnosed with depression, which is believed to arise from a combination of genetic background and environmental stressors.
Further, patients with type 2 diabetes are about twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to others.
Although numerous anti-depressive treatments are currently available, an astounding 30% of patients diagnosed with depression do not experience positive therapeutic effects with these established treatments.
In the recent study, published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, a research team at the University of Florida compared depression levels in diabetics over the age of 66 who were being treated with GLP-1 medications and those who followed a different course of treatment.
Scientists found that patients taking GLP-1RAs reported fewer symptoms of depression than those on the common diabetes drug dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is), also known collectively as gliptins.
The researchers concluded that this showed the drugs could have a beneficial effect on depression.
The team noted that their findings are not generalizable to younger patients or those without diabetes.
However, this latest study seems to support previous research that found GLP-1 drugs can improve mental health and reduce the risk of suicide in teenagers.
These findings contradict previous concerns about the potential of drugs like Ozempic to trigger suicidal ideation and self-harm in children and adults.
Experts believe that the efficacy of these drugs in reducing the risk of depression lies in reducing inflammation, as inflammatory responses and immunity are critical in the development and onset of depression.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to illness or injury. The body signals the immune system to dispatch inflammatory cells to fight disease or help heal. However, if the cells are sent when the body doesn’t need them, this may spur chronic inflammation, which is known to be a symptom of several diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
An inflammatory response within the brain — called neuroinflammation — may change neural circuits, and may be causing, or intensifying depression. Research suggests that around 30% of depressed patients have elevated inflammation.
GLP-1 drugs indirectly reduce inflammation through weight loss. The meds can also activate certain T cells — white blood cells key to the immune system — which can have anti-inflammatory effects. GLP-1 has also been reported to promote the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines in various organs including the brain.
