n a few short years, Ozempic, Mounjaro and their kin rose from relative obscurity to superstardom as they became the new hotshot drugs for weight management. Since that time, millions have flocked to the injections to lose weight.

Now, a flurry of studies, including a large-scale paper out in Nature Medicine this week, have found that the so-called GLP-1 drugs hold promise for treating a wide range of health conditions as well, including dementia, addiction and cardiovascular disorders. But the Nature Medicine study also points to previously unknown risks, writes Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist from Washington University in St. Louis and the lead author on the paper.

Al-Aly cautions that despite the great promise of GLP-1 drugs and their effectiveness for weight loss, they are not cure-alls for obesity and metabolic disease. “The drugs need to be taken long term to sustain their effectiveness and prevent rebound weight gain,” he notes.

Amanda Mascarelli
Senior Health and Medicine Editor

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Ozempic and similar weight loss drugs may lower risk of 42 health conditions, but also pose risks

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Research shows that people who take these weight-loss medications may have a lower risk of dementia and numerous other health conditions.

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