People on Ozempic could have fewer heart attacks, strokes and seizures – but more nausea, vomiting and stomach pain.

Ozempic and Wegovy are increasingly available in Australia and worldwide to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The dramatic effects of those drugs, called GLP-1s, on Weight loss has sparked public interest on this latest treatment option.

However, the risks and advantages are still being actively studied.

In one A new study In Nature Medicine , researchers within the United States analyzed health data from about 2.4 million individuals with type 2 diabetes between 2017 and 2023, including about 216,000 individuals who used a GLP-1 drug.

Researchers compared a spread of health outcomes when GLP-1s were added to an individual's treatment plan, versus managing their diabetes in other ways, often using glucose-lowering drugs.

Overall, they found people using GLP-1 were less prone to experience 42 health conditions or adversarial health events – but more prone to experience 19 others.

Were the conditions less common?

Cardiometabolic conditions

GLP-1 use was related to less severe cardiovascular and coagulation disorders. These include deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, cardiac arrest, heart failure and myocardial infarction.

Neurological and psychiatric conditions

GLP-1 use was related to underreported substance use disorders or addiction, psychiatric disorders, and seizures.

Infectious conditions

GLP-1 use was related to fewer bacterial infections and pneumonia.

Were the conditions more common?

Gastrointestinal conditions

Compatible with First studyGLP-1 use was related to gastrointestinal conditions resembling nausea, vomiting, gastritis, diverticulitis and abdominal pain.

Other adversarial effects

Increased risks were seen for conditions resembling low blood pressure, syncope (fainting) and arthritis.

How strong is that this study?

The study used a big and well-known dataset from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. This is an observational study, meaning the researchers tracked health outcomes over time without changing someone's treatment plan.

A strength of the study is that it captures data from greater than 2.4 million people over six years. This is for much longer than is normally possible in an intervention study.

Such observational studies are also considered more reflective of the “real world,” because participants should not asked to follow instructions to alter their behavior in unnatural or forced ways, as in intervention studies. I’m

However, this study cannot say definitively that GLP-1 use was the reason behind the change in risk of assorted health outcomes. Such conclusions can only be drawn with confidence from rigorously controlled intervention studies, where researchers actively change or control treatment or behavior.

The authors note that the information utilized in this study got here primarily from older, white men, so the findings may not apply to other groups.

In addition, the big variety of participants implies that even very small effects could also be detected, but may not make an actual difference to the health of the population as an entire.

Other possible reasons for these links

In addition to the effect of GLP-1 within the body, other aspects may explain a few of the findings on this study. For example, it is feasible that:

• People who’ve used GLP-1 could also be more informed about treatment options and more motivated to take charge of their health.

• Those who used GLP-1 could have received it because their health care team was encouraged to supply more advanced treatment options, leading to higher care in other areas. may affect the chance of assorted health outcomes.

• People using GLP-1 may find a way to achieve this because they live in metropolitan centers and have access to medications in addition to other health-promoting services and products, resembling gyms, mental health care, or healthy eating. Could afford delivery services.

Did the authors have any conflicts of interest?

Two of the study's authors declare that they’re “uncompensated consultants” for Pfizer, a world pharmaceutical company known for developing a wide selection of medicine and vaccines. Although Pfizer doesn’t currently make GLP-1s resembling Ozempic or Wegovy available, they try to develop one. their own GLP-1s, subsequently may profit from the high demand for these drugs.

It was funded by research US Department of Veterans Affairsa government agency that gives a wide selection of services to military veterans.

No other competing interests were reported.

Diabetes vs Weight Loss Treatments

Overall, this study shows that individuals with type 2 diabetes using GLP-1 drugs generally experience more positive health outcomes than negative health outcomes.

However, this study didn’t include individuals with type 2 diabetes. More research is required to know the results of those drugs on people without diabetes who’re using them for other reasons, including weight reduction.

While the findings highlight the therapeutic advantages of GLP-1 drugs, additionally they raise essential questions on find out how to manage potential risks for individuals who select to make use of the drug.

The results of this study will help many individuals, including:

• Policymakers are exploring ways to make GLP-1 drugs more widely available to individuals with quite a lot of health conditions.

• Health professionals who often interact with patients considering using GLP-1.

• People are wondering if a GLP-1 drug is correct for them.