Could Ozempic fight addiction and boost cognition?

When I first started prescribing semaglutide (sold under brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy), I did so to help my diabetic patients take back control of their blood sugar.

That’s because, as a GLP-1 agonist drug, it stimulates the pancreas to release insulin. This helps push sugar out of your blood and into your tissues, where it belongs.

And by mimicking GLP-1—a hormone your body produces in response to eating—you start to eat less. Because the more GLP-1 in your system, the less hungry you feel.

This explains the unintended side effect of weight loss.

But what about its positive influence on neurological and psychological conditions?

I’m talking about everything from cognitive decline and migraines to addictive behavior, and more…

Intriguing new findings

In a recent study, researchers compared semaglutide to several other classes of diabetes drugs, like sitagliptin, empagliflozin, and glipizide.

The goal? To analyze how many subjects developed certain neurological or psychological issues within one year of starting the medication.

Researchers looked for 22 different outcomes, including cognitive decline, dementia, migraines, insomnia, nicotine misuse, depression, and anxiety.

Turns out, semaglutide was associated with a lower risk of the majority of these outcomes.

Specifically, it seems to lessen risk of cognitive issues, dementia, depression, and ischemic stroke.

Plus, as I reported yesterday, there was a noticeable reduction in inflammation—the root cause of disease—and all-cause mortality.

And perhaps most interesting was a reduction in nicotine cravings.

As explained by the researchers, “semaglutide and other GLP-1 medications regulate dopaminergic pathways underlying reward sensitivity.”

What an interesting—and important—finding, as there are many people who struggle with addictive behavior, whether it’s nicotine… or food.

And it appears future research could look at semaglutide’s potential to help folks consume less alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and other addictive substances. (I’m excited to see what comes of this!)

The best of both worlds

You might be wondering why I’m spending so much time talking to you about a drug.

The truth is, I have always considered myself a complementary medical doctor.

And I’ve developed a practice around that same notion…

Where I choose to mix the best of the alternative world with the best of the conventional world to help achieve the best outcome for my patient.

Yes, I will always stand behind lifestyle prescriptions. But that doesn’t mean I shun pharmaceuticals… not when a patient might truly benefit from it.

If you’re interested in learning more about the good, bad, and “unknown” about semaglutide, I also encourage you to refer to the June 2024 issue of my Logical Health Alternatives newsletter (“Get the ‘skinny’ on the blockbuster drug helping people shed pounds”).

Subscribers can gain immediate access after logging in with their credentials by clicking here.

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Source:

“Semaglutide linked to lower cognitive decline risk and reduced nicotine cravings.” Medical News Today, 07/19/2024. (medicalnewstoday.com/articles/semaglutide-linked-to-lower-cognitive-decline-risk-and-reduced-nicotine-cravings)