Weight-loss jabs could help tackle depression

Weight-loss jabs could work as antidepressants, after studies on more than 25,000 adults found evidence that the injections could have a powerful impact on the mind as well as the body.

Scientists called for trials of the drugs to treat mental illness specifically, after research found the class of medication could help people beat the blues.

Experts believe appetite-suppressing drugs may have antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects, potentially due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.

Weight-loss jabs such as Ozempic have soared in popularity.Credit: AP

Researchers analysed 36 studies, involving 26,000 adults in 19 countries.

The findings, which were due to be presented to the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga this week, showed the weekly jabs improved mood, wellbeing and quality of life measures more than insulin and other anti-diabetic drugs.

The injections slow digestion and reduce appetite by mimicking the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone, which regulates hunger and feelings of fullness.

Author Dr Sigrid Breit, from the University of Bern in Switzerland, said: “GLP-1 RAs [receptor agonists] may have antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects, potentially due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, which can also help reduce neuroinflammation.”

GLP-1 jabs were designed to combat diabetes and are now also prescribed to help obese people lose weight.

However, there is increasing evidence that they have other benefits.

The class of medication includes semaglutide, marketed as Ozempic for treatment of diabetes, and Wegovy for weight loss, as well as Mounjaro, which treats both.

Experts have likened the medications to “the fountain of youth” because of the impact they have had in turning back the clock on a host of diseases.

Weight-loss drugs may have positive impacts on a person’s sense of wellbeing.Credit: iStock

Scientists believe the ability of the jabs to reduce inflammation and insulin resistance are key to this, with both linked to a number of illnesses as well as depression and cognitive decline.

Previous research has shown diabetes can affect thinking ability, causing memory loss and brain fog.

GLP-1 injections may help fix that by reducing inflammation in the brain, improving how insulin works in the body while boosting the brain’s metabolism.

Experts believe these mechanisms may even help the jabs to protect against diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The latest review looked at studies that included obese patients, some of whom had type 2 diabetes.

Patients were being treated with various types of injections, the best-known of which is semaglutide – Ozempic or Wegovy.

In patients without mental illness, the drugs consistently outperformed insulin and other diabetes medications in boosting emotional wellbeing.

The review also appeared to disprove early concerns that the drugs increased the risk of suicidal behaviour, new mental illness or psychiatric hospital admissions.

Five trials reported improved mood and quality of life in patients with conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Dr Breit said: “These results are particularly important for people with severe mental disorders who are three times more likely to be living with obesity than the general population.

Weight gain can be a side effect of some anti-depressants.Credit: iStock

“This research provides much-needed evidence in support of GLP-1 RAs to help safely address the burden of obesity in people with mental illness.

“However, more data from large-scale randomised trials, and longer treatment and follow-up periods, are needed to establish the long-term efficacy of GLP-1 RAs, as well as future studies exploring whether these medications might be useful for the direct treatment of mental health disorders.”

Mental illnesses are associated with an increased risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

Weight gain is also a common side effect of mood-altering drugs, including antidepressants and antipsychotics, especially for individuals with severe mental illnesses who must take their medications indefinitely to reduce the risk of symptom relapse.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairman of Britain’s Royal College of GPs, said: “This research makes for interesting reading and, as more research is conducted and published, it’s important that findings are considered, as clinical guidelines for use of liraglutide, semaglutide and other weight-loss medications are updated and developed.

“There is clearly a lot of potential for weight-loss drugs – which are still very new medications – to have wide-ranging benefits for patients, so it’s good to see research being undertaken to explore these.

“As with any medication, they do not come without risk and can cause side effects, which range in seriousness.

“It’s vital that patients have access to the holistic support and care that addresses the underlying reasons for their health problems, rather than relying on medical interventions alone.”

One randomised controlled trial involving 732 patients with type 2 diabetes but no pre-existing mental disorders showed those put on the jabs saw boosts in emotional health and positive feelings, and a reduction in psychological distress.

The weight-loss drugs also appeared to improve symptoms in patients suffering with mental illnesses.

In two separate trials involving patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar affective disorder, injections were shown to significantly improve symptoms of depression.

Telegraph, London

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