GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy lower the risk of 42 conditions
The benefits of taking GLP-1 agonists seem to outweigh the risks, at least when taken for approved uses, according to an assessment of how the drugs affect 175 conditions
By Carissa Wong
20 January 2025
Semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists are injected
Iuliia Burmistrova/Getty Images
Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, called GLP-1 agonists, carry more benefits than risks when taken for their approved uses, according to a comprehensive analysis of their effects on 175 conditions. The same may not be true for people taking the drugs for other uses, however.
“In this new land of GLP-1, we wanted to really map the benefits and risks for all conditions that might be plausibly linked,” says Ziyad Al-Aly at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri.
The drugs are best known for helping people control type 2 diabetes and treat obesity. They mimic a hormone in the body, GLP-1, that lowers blood sugar levels and makes people feel fuller for longer.
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Dozens of studies suggest GLP-1 agonists may also cut the risk of a slew of other conditions, from heart disease to dementia to substance use disorders. These studies have involved hundreds or thousands of people and focused on just one or a few conditions at a time, but millions of people are now using the drugs, meaning we can investigate less frequent effects, says Al-Aly.
To gain a more comprehensive picture, he and his colleagues examined the health records of more than 200,000 people with diabetes who took GLP-1 agonists in addition to their standard treatment over a four-year period. They also looked at 1.2 million people with diabetes who only received standard care across the same period, and assessed the risks of both groups developing 175 different health conditions.
The team found that those who took GLP-1 agonists had a lower risk of 42 conditions. For instance, their risk of heart attacks was reduced by 9 per cent and their risk of dementia dropped by 8 per cent. The odds of this group having suicidal thoughts or substance use disorders, including addiction to alcohol and opioids, also decreased by around a tenth – even when the team accounted for factors that could affect the results, such as participants’ age, sex and income levels.
