Study finds no link between weight loss drugs and suicide

A new Scandinavian study involving researchers from the Danish State Serum Institute (SSI) has found no connection between weight loss and diabetes medication based on GLP-1 analogs and an increased risk of suicide. Such medications, like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, act as an artificial gut hormone that reduces appetite. Side effect reports had previously suggested a potential risk increase, but the study disproves this. The researchers, including SSI’s Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology Anders Hviid, analyzed national registry data from Denmark and Sweden, covering nearly 300,000 patients from 2013 to 2021. The patients were observed on average for 2.5 years and showed no higher risk of suicide, self-harm, depression, or anxiety. Hviid acknowledges the need for further research on specific at-risk groups and has received grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. A European Medicines Agency (EMA) committee also concluded in April that there is no link between these medications and suicide.