GLP-1 receptor agonists increase the likelihood of antidepressant prescription
Last reviewed: 14.06.2024
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Individuals taking glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor agonists have a higher risk of subsequent antidepressant prescription, according to a study published in the journal of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism.
Oswaldo P. Almeida, PhD, of the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle, Australia, and colleagues assessed whether the prescription of GLP-1 receptor agonists is associated with increased prescription of antidepressants. The analysis included a 10 percent random sample of data from the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme between 2012 and 2022.
Researchers found that 358,075 of 1.7 million people were prescribed antidepressants, and 8,495 of 24,783 people prescribed a GLP-1 receptor agonist were also prescribed antidepressants in 2022 (odds ratio, 1.44).
Among 24,103 people prescribed a GLP-1 receptor agonist between 2012 and 2021, 8,083 were prescribed an antidepressant in 2022 (odds ratio, 1.52). Among the 1.2 million people not prescribed an antidepressant in 2012, there was an increased risk of antidepressant prescription between 2013 and 2022 following prescription of a GLP-1 receptor agonist (hazard ratio, 1.19).
“Individuals exposed to GLP-1 receptor agonists have a higher risk of antidepressant prescription,” the authors write. “The possible impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on consumer mood requires ongoing monitoring and further research.”