A study conducted in Sweden with nearly 15,000 people found an association between the use of semaglutide and a lower risk of psychiatric hospitalization among patients with bipolar disorder. The medication, which is the active compound in the well-known weight-loss pens Ozempic and Wegovy, was linked to a 21% reduction in hospitalization risk.
The discovery raises the possibility that some glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may influence the brain, in addition to blood sugar and appetite. Researchers led by Professor Mark Taylor from Griffith University conducted the study.
However, the researchers warn that the result does not prove that semaglutide is responsible for the improvement observed in patients. Further investigation is needed to confirm the causal relationship between the medication and the reduction in psychiatric hospitalization risk.
