Major vaccines that could stop symptoms of depression and schizophrenia revealed

The link was stronger in patients who lost weight.

But vaccine users were also less likely to require emergency psychiatric care if their weight remained stable or if they gained a few pounds.

This suggests mental health benefits Weight loss injections may not be driven solely by weight loss, the Australian research team said.

Schizophrenia is a mental health problem that can cause delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking, among other symptoms.

JAB OK

Fat injections may be considered for children as young as 10, health officials say

JAB OR NOT?

The 3-Step Fat Jab Plan: How to Avoid Side Effects and Stay Slim for Good

This complex, lifelong condition – which affects one in 100 people in the UK – can be difficult to treat.

“Many people with schizophrenia experience persistent psychotic symptoms despite antipsychotic treatment,” noted the study authors, led by Dr Najmeh Davoodian, a research associate at Deakin University.

This condition has been linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as have medications that treat it.

This is because antipsychotic treatment can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and other side effects that can fuel the development of diabetes.

“These adverse effects may reduce adherence to antipsychotic treatment, limit optimal use of antipsychotics, and thus indirectly contribute to relapse and psychiatric service utilization,” the researchers said.

“Interventions that simultaneously address metabolic dysfunction and psychiatric stability therefore have potential compound value.” »

This is where weight loss injections come in.

The drugs are approved to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, but the researchers wanted to test whether they could also benefit people with schizophrenia.

Their research examined previous studies that also examined the effect of GLP-1s on users’ mental health.

In the United States, researchers analyzed the health records of more than 70,000 adults with schizophrenia and type 2 diabetes, treated between January 2018 and October 2026.

Some were prescribed a GLP-1, such as semaglutide (the active ingredient Ozempic or Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

Patients were also prescribed other GLP-1s – liraglutide and dulaglutide – or new types of diabetes drugs called DPP-4 and SGLT2 inhibitors.

These were compared to patients who were not taking any type of diabetes or weight loss medication.

They found: “Initiation of a GLP-1 receptor agonist was associated with
lower use of acute psychiatric care than non-initiation and initiation of DPP-4 or SGLT2 inhibitors.

People taking GLP-1 were 24 percent less likely to require psychiatric hospitalization than those not taking diabetes medications, the study found.

Specifically, they were 18 percent less likely to be admitted to hospital than those taking DPP-4 inhibitors, and 17 percent less likely than those taking SGLT2 inhibitors.

They were also 29 per cent less likely to go to A&E for a mental health crisis.

There was a 13 percent lower risk compared to people taking DPP-4 inhibitors and a 20 percent lower risk compared to those taking SGLT2 inhibitors.

This trend was more evident in adults younger than 55 and male patients, the researchers said.

Patients who lost weight with GLP-1 were less likely to need emergency care or hospitalization, but the benefits were also seen, to a lesser extent, in people whose weight did not change or increase.

“Weight-related pathways may contribute to the observed decrease in acute psychiatric care use, although potential weight-independent mechanisms cannot be excluded,” the study authors noted.

When each GLP-1-specific treatment was analyzed separately, the association was observed with semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide, but not with dulaglutide.

“Suicidal outcomes were rare, with no evidence of excess risk among those initiated on GLP-1 receptor agonists,” the study authors added.

Previous research investigating the “beneficial effects” of weight-loss injections on depression And bipolar disorder And Schizophrenia suggests medications could improve mental health by reducing inflammation in the brain.

Experts from the University of Bern in Switzerland reviewed 36 studies involving a total of 26,000 people and found that injections “significantly improved” emotional well-being.

Study author Dr. Sigrid Breit: “They may have antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects due to their anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce inflammation in the brain.

“These findings are particularly important for people with serious mental illness, who are three times more likely to live with obesity than the general population.

“Future studies should determine whether these medications could be useful for the direct treatment of mental health disorders. »

The authors of the new study noted that it was an observational study, meaning it cannot demonstrate that GLP-1 directly reduces the risk of requiring acute psychiatric care.

Therefore, weight loss medications should not be considered psychiatric treatment or prescribed to reduce visits to psychiatric hospitals.

However, the researchers said their results show that GLP-1 could play a role in mental health care.

Future clinical trials are needed to confirm these results, including in people with schizophrenia but without T2D.