Obesity drugs may have unexpected effects: they could be effective against dozens of diseases

Since their arrival on the market ten years ago for diabetic patients, they are now considered the "miracle drug" against obesity.

One in eight Americans is being treated with one of these new-generation obesity drugs. They're also generating significant interest in France, where the famous Ozempic and Wegovy are approved for use. Originally prescribed for type 2 diabetes, they are now also indicated for obesity and could soon be used for many other diseases. For several years, scientific research has reported broad benefits of drugs called "GLP-1 analogues," well beyond diabetes and obesity.

A study published on January 20, 2025, in the journal Nature Medicine has established a unique mapping of all the benefits, as well as the risks associated with these drugs, across 175 diseases. To achieve this, the researchers followed nearly 2 million former veterans, some of whom were treated with these drugs. "Given the novelty and growing popularity of these drugs, it is important to systematically examine their effects on all body systems, leaving no stone unturned, in order to understand what they do and what they don't do," explained the study's lead author, Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, in a press release from the University of Washington.

Of the 175 diseases studied, researchers observed and confirmed that people taking GLP-1 medications had a lower risk of suffering from 42 diseases. At the cardiovascular and respiratory levels, the use of these medications was associated with a reduced risk of serious cardiovascular events, heart failure, coagulation disorders, thrombosis, hypertension and pulmonary embolism, COPD, respiratory failure, etc. At the neurological level, the risks of drug addiction, epileptic seizures, stroke, and even dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, were also reduced. Other diseases were also less frequent, such as kidney and liver failure or infectious diseases.

However, there was a higher risk of suffering from 19 conditions, such as gastrointestinal disorders, low blood pressure, pancreatitis, certain kidney diseases, sleep disorders, and joint pain. This impact on the pancreas and kidneys was previously unknown. "Although these adverse effects are uncommon, they can be very serious," according to Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly. He concludes that while these drugs "can have broad health benefits," they "are not without risks. Our results highlight the potential for broader applications for these drugs, but also highlight important risks that should be closely monitored in people taking these drugs."