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New research suggests the effects of GLP-1s outside physical health are limited.People using GLP-1s didn\u2019t experience any significant improvements in their mental health, relationships, or work life.Despite the study\u2019s findings, experts say the reality is complicated.<\/p>\n
The link might actually not be as clear-cut as it seems: A new data analysis suggests that GLP-1s won\u2019t necessarily cause meaningful improvements in other parts of your life.<\/p>\n In the study<\/a>, researchers from the University of Chicago analyzed more than 10 years of data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which is a nationally representative set of surveys that tracks how Americans use healthcare. The researchers specifically focused on adults with diabetes from 2012 to 2023.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Thea Gallagher, Psy.D<\/a>., clinical associate professor of psychology at NYU Langone Health; Mir Ali, M.D<\/a>., medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA<\/p>\n They tracked people who used GLP-1 medications over time, looking at symptoms of depression<\/a> and psychological distress, along with perceived health, employment, and marital status. The researchers looked at outcomes in the participants after both one year of using a GLP-1 and over two years. Surprisingly, they didn\u2019t find much evidence of meaningful changes in the areas they studied\u2014whether people became employed or unemployed, married or divorced, or whether they had any changes in mental health.<\/p>\n \u201cResults indicate that GLP-1 use is not meaningfully associated with mental health, self-rated health, employment, and marriage,\u201d the researchers wrote in the paper.<\/p>\n The findings challenge common notions around the potential life impacts of GLP-1 use. But healthcare providers say their experience with patients on GLP-1s has been slightly different.<\/p>\n There has been mixed data on how GLP-1s affect mental health, relationships, and careers<\/p>\n Previous research on the topic suggests that people can see an improvement in their mental health and relationships after starting a GLP-1.<\/p>\n A study published in April in The Lancet Psychiatry<\/a> analyzed data from nearly 100,000 people in Sweden with diabetes who were also diagnosed with depression or an anxiety disorder. After following them up for an average of five years, the researchers discovered that the participants who used certain GLP-1 medications had up to a 42% lower risk of their mental illness getting worse compared to those who didn\u2019t take the medications. When looking specifically at semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic), the participants had a 44% lower risk of their depression worsening, and a 38% lower risk of anxiety worsening.<\/p>\n Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.<\/p>\n Use your Google account to add this to your settings.<\/p>\n Add to Google settings<\/p>\n And preliminary research published in the National Bureau of Economic Research<\/a> in June found a link between GLP-1 use and improvements in a range of life elements in women. Specifically, the researchers discovered that single women had a 29% increase in odds of marrying or moving in with a partner after 1.5 years on a GLP-1 medication, while those who were unemployed saw their odds of getting a job increase by 27%. Women who were already married or who were employed before starting the medication didn\u2019t report any significant changes in these areas.<\/p>\n Doctors say they tend to see a positive life impact when people use these medications\u2014within reason.<\/p>\n \u201cThe findings are a little surprising to me\u2014this has not been my experience with patients,\u201d says Mir Ali, M.D<\/a>., medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. \u201cWe do tend to see improvements in other aspects of their life.\u201d<\/p>\n While Dr. Ali says that patients are the most likely to see weight loss and improvements in physical health from going on a GLP-1 medication, he points out that those changes typically influence other elements in their lives, too. \u201cOverall, I see an improvement in quality of life,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen patients do well on these medications, they lose weight and improve their health, and they tend to feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n But Dr. Ali says it\u2019s important for people to keep things in perspective. \u201cIf someone has underlying marriage, relationship, or other health issues outside of excess weight, going on a GLP-1 won\u2019t necessarily change all of that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Social media is filled with testimonials from people touting how much their entire lives changed after going on a GLP-1<\/a>. So it\u2019s fair to assume that medications like semaglutide<\/a> and tirzepatide can improve other areas of life beyond weight loss and physical health\u2026right?<\/p>\n![\"Google\"](\"https:\/\/www.prevention.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/social\/google.1467f37.svg\")
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