Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy were already off to fast starts because of their ability to help treat Type 2 diabetes and improve weight loss for millions of Americans. But a new study suggests that those may represent only a small sample of the potential uses of the drugs.
The study, led by researchers at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, found that use of these GLP-1s, as they are classified, was associated with reduced risks of a number of health problems, including substance abuse disorders, suicidal ideation, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Risk reduction was also found for neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia, along with infections, liver cancer, and even life-threatening clotting disorders, like blood clots in the lungs.
