Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), widely used to treat diabetes and promote weight loss, may also have mental health benefits, particularly among people with bipolar disorder, according to new research from Griffith University.
Diabetes, obesity, and bipolar disorder frequently occur together and may share some underlying biological mechanisms. According to the latest estimates from the World Health Organization, approximately one in 200 people worldwide, or approximately 37 million people, live with bipolar disorder.
GLP-1 drugs are already established treatments for diabetes and obesity, but their potential effects on bipolar disorder remain unclear.
Large study examines GLP-1 drugs and bipolar disorder
To investigate the connection, researchers led by Professor Mark Taylor of Griffith School of Medicine and Dentistry analyzed data from across Sweden on nearly 15,000 people with bipolar disorder who had been prescribed GLP-1 medications over a 15-year period.
“People with bipolar disorder taking semaglutide (also known as Ozempic or Wegovy), a type of GLP-1 medication, had significantly lower rates of psychiatric hospitalization compared to periods when they were not taking GLP-1 medications,” Professor Taylor said.
“The findings add to growing evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists may have benefits beyond the treatment of diabetes and obesity, and could represent a promising new avenue for bipolar research.”
The researchers found that semaglutide use was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of psychiatric hospitalization.
Semaglutide may affect brain-related processes
The findings suggest that GLP-1 signaling could help protect the brain by reducing inflammation, cellular stress, and other biological processes associated with bipolar disorder.
These effects could potentially contribute to greater mood stability and lower risk of relapse.
However, the same pattern was not observed with all GLP-1 drugs. Liraglutide and dulaglutide were not associated with a reduced risk of psychiatric hospitalization, indicating that any potential mental health benefits may not extend to the entire class of medications.
Professor Taylor said he hopes the findings will now be examined in a randomized controlled trial, which would provide stronger evidence on whether semaglutide itself can improve psychiatric outcomes in people with bipolar disorder.
The article ‘Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist use and associated risk of hospitalization in bipolar disorder, from a national cohort, 2009-2024’ has been published in Scandinavian Psychiatric Act.