Advantages, dangers revealed in new examine

You might take Ozempic or one other drug to regulate your diabetes or shed some pounds, however these so-called GLP-1s even have a bunch of different results ‒ some good and a few not so good.

A brand new examine, the primary to catalogue these dangers and advantages, confirmed that these medicine are related to a decrease danger of coronary heart assault, stroke and different cardiovascular issues.

Individuals who took the medicines additionally had fewer seizures and addictions to alcohol, hashish and opioids, in line with the examine, revealed Monday within the journal Nature.

The analysis, which in contrast about 2 million veterans with diabetes, a few of whom took the medicine and a few did not, discovered the drugs had been additionally related to a decreased danger of Alzheimer’s and different types of dementia.

Extra:Medicare targets common weight reduction medicine Ozempic, Wegovy for worth negotiations

These diabetes and weight reduction medicine work by slowing digestion and curbing urge for food, mentioned the examine’s senior writer, Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, a scientific epidemiologist at Washington College College of Drugs and chief of analysis on the VA Saint Louis Well being Care System.

It’s doable that by decreasing meals cravings, they could additionally cut back cravings for different substances like alcohol, he mentioned.

Most individuals noticed a modest 10% to twenty% discount within the danger of those well being issues ‒ maybe due to the medicine themselves, or due to the final well being advantages that include shedding extra physique weight, Al-Aly mentioned. Or perhaps each.

“The 2 mechanisms are usually not mutually unique,” he mentioned.

On the flip aspect, the examine discovered that these medicine, generally known as GLP-1s, are additionally related to an elevated danger of a number of detrimental well being outcomes and negative effects. The most typical had been the well-known gastrointestinal issues, similar to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and gastroparesis, or abdomen paralysis.

Monica Church, 56, is aware of about these negative effects firsthand. The Goodrich, Michigan resident was hospitalized after taking the treatment in December 2023 as a result of she couldn’t hold down any meals or fluids.

She nonetheless has abdomen ache when she eats sure meals or is underneath any stress.

“It’s nonetheless wreaking havoc on my physique,” she mentioned.

Researchers additionally discovered the drugs had been related to an elevated danger of low blood stress, arthritic issues, and pancreas and kidney issues.

The examine is the primary to map out all of the potential advantages and dangers related to this class of medicines. Now that well being consultants have this “atlas” of knowledge, Al-Aly hopes extra analysis is finished to raised perceive how these medicine can affect a number of components of the physique.

“This actually ought to function a wake-up name for regulators to demand firms to take a extra complete look,” he mentioned.

In an announcement despatched to USA TODAY, a spokesperson for drug maker Novo Nordisk mentioned the corporate welcomes any impartial analysis investigating the security and efficacy of their merchandise, which embody Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight reduction. The corporate mentioned it is exploring the usage of semaglutide, a sort of GLP-1, for different ailments similar to power kidney illness, coronary heart failure, and Alzheimer’s illness, amongst others.

Eli Lilly, which manufactures Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight reduction, didn’t reply to USA TODAY’s request for remark concerning the analysis.

This story was up to date so as to add new info.

Adrianna Rodriguez will be reached at adrodriguez@usatoday.com.