The growing list of conditions weight-loss drugs could help with

Ozempic and similar weight loss drugs have been hailed as a boon for the treatment of obesity, but scientists are beginning to test a host of other illnesses that seem to be benefitting from the drugs. These are the ailments experts are studying due to their potential link to the so-called miracle drug.

Alcohol use disorder

One of the notably surprising side effects of taking semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy has been that some users report losing interest in alcohol. Anecdotally, some people have said the medications have made them want to drink less and, in some instances, have turned them off alcohol altogether.

A study published Nov. 13 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry used data from over 227,000 people in Sweden's patient data registry, all of whom were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder between 2006 and 2021. 4,321 of those people used semaglutide, and 2,509 people used liraglutide, another drug in the same class of GLP-1s which is sold under the brand name Victoza. The analysis found that the "people using the drugs were less likely to be hospitalized for problems linked to alcohol use disorder," such as "intoxication and withdrawal symptoms like delirium," than the patients who were not using the drugs, said Live Science. Semaglutide use was associated with a 36% lower risk and liraglutide with a 28% lower risk.

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Aversion to drinking was not a commonly reported side effect during the clinical development programs of Ozempic or Wegovy, Novo Nordisk said in a statement to Today. It is not currently listed as a potential side effect in the prescribing information for either drug. The company also said it has yet to do studies to assess the safety and efficacy of the medication in patients who drink alcohol.

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a disorder that can cause irregular menstrual periods, hormonal imbalances and infertility. A so-called Ozempic baby boom has encouraged some doctors to use GLP-1 drugs as an off-label treatment for the disorder to help with infertility. Some attribute the surprise pregnancies to weight loss, but "experts have suggested other mechanisms could also be at play," said The Guardian. Clinical trials are now underway to "explore whether semaglutide could help boost rates of ovulation among those with PCOS," an outcome that could improve fertility, as well as "its impact on levels of hormones, including testosterone."

A small study of 27 people with both obesity and PCOS who took a low dose of semaglutide found that after six months, most subjects had lost weight and had more regular periods, "suggesting their PCOS was under better control," said The New York Times.

Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, warned that even if clinical trials indicate a clear benefit, GLP-1 agonist drugs are not likely to be a cure-all for PCOS. Symptoms can vary quite a bit, and "not all women experience the metabolic symptoms most likely to benefit from GLP-1 agonists," said NBC News. Trials help compile evidence that the drugs are effective for treating PCOS. Still, to secure FDA approval and widespread insurance coverage, the companies that make the drugs would have to run all the more extensive trials. Novo Nordisk has no plans to do so, a spokesperson said in an email to NBC.

Alzheimer's disease

Ozempic was linked to a lower risk of getting diagnosed with Alzheimer's among people with type 2 diabetes in a large-scale analysis of existing medical records, "supporting the case for further research of the blockbuster GLP-1 drug in neurodegenerative diseases," said STAT News. Among the more than 1 million people with diabetes whose records were included in the study, which was published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia in October, the "overall risk of developing Alzheimer's was already very low." However, the researchers found that Ozempic was associated with a 40% to 70% lower risk of an Alzheimer's diagnosis over three years "compared with other diabetes treatments such as insulin, metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors and older GLP-1 drugs."

The study's methodology involved using a target trial emulation, a type of study that "aims to mimic a randomized controlled trial," typically the gold standard for clinical studies, but "uses existing data rather than recruiting new participants and studying how the intervention affects their outcomes," said Healthline.

Other illnesses potentially linked to weight loss drugs

Parkinson's disease

Liver disease

Cardiovascular issues

Sleep apnea

Kidney disease