According to a recent federal study, individuals who were prescribed the commonly used drugs Ozempic and Wegovy for diabetes and obesity had a reduced likelihood of experiencing suicidal ideation compared to those taking alternative medications for these conditions.

The study, financially supported by the National Institutes of Health, was released on Friday and coincides with investigations from European and American regulators regarding claims that individuals taking the medication, semaglutide, experienced suicidal thoughts.

Researchers from NIH and Case Western Reserve University examined electronic medical records of over 1.8 million patients who were prescribed either semaglutide or another medication for the treatment of obesity or diabetes from 2017 to 2022. The study included 240,000 patients being treated for obesity or overweight and 1.6 million patients being treated for diabetes.

During a six-month follow-up period, it was discovered that individuals who took semaglutide had a 49% to 73% decreased likelihood of experiencing initial or recurring suicidal thoughts compared to those who were taking a different medication for the same conditions.

The scientists urged for a more thorough analysis of cases involving thoughts of suicide and the use of certain medications. They also suggested that patients be monitored for an extended period of time. However, their study only focused on individuals who were prescribed semaglutide or a similar medication for diabetes or weight management, and did not include those who took semaglutide outside of these conditions.

Dr. Rong Xu, a co-author of the study from Case Western, mentioned that obesity and diabetes are individual risk factors for suicidal thoughts. However, the study did not intend to determine if GLP-1 drugs had an effect on reducing these thoughts.

After the European Medicines Agency announced in July that they were examining approximately 150 instances of potential self-harm and suicidal ideation associated with semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, scientists initiated a review. These medications function by targeting hormones in the stomach and brain that control hunger and satiety, while previous weight-loss drugs operated in a different manner.

In December, the European Medicines Agency’s committee responsible for monitoring drugs announced its intention to request additional information from pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk regarding the reported incidents.

The FDA is looking into potential cases of suicidal behavior in individuals using GLP-1 medications.

Millions of people in the U.S. are taking semaglutide, which has soared in popularity since Wegovy was approved to treat obesity in June 2021.

A representative from Novo Nordisk stated that the latest research is based on their data gathered from extensive clinical trials, and that since the drug has been available, there has been no evidence of a link between semaglutide and suicidal thoughts or self-harm.

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