Weight loss jabs such as Ozempic could banish depression and make you happier, a study claims
WEIGHT loss jabs could banish blues as well as bellies, a study claims.
People taking the injections showed “significantly improved” emotional wellbeing in trials.
Experts at the University of Bern in Switzerland reviewed 36 studies on a total of 26,000 people to check the impact of the medication.
They found that drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro had “beneficial effects” on depression and bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, found no link between the jabs and new mental health problems or thoughts about self-harm or suicide.
Study author Dr Sigrid Breit said they “exert a positive effect on mental state and quality of life.”
Depression and other disorders have been linked to low-grade swelling in the brain, which the drugs may help to bring down.
Dr Breit said: “They may have antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects due to their anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce inflammation in the brain.
“These results are particularly important for people with severe mental disorders, who are three times more likely to be living with obesity than the general population.
“Future studies should explore whether these medications might be useful for the direct treatment of mental health disorders.”
Dr Ed Beveridge, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “We know that many people with mental illness have weight management issues.
“It is crucial that they are regarded as a priority group for access to this medication where appropriate.”