alt Hacker News> By the way - why are you so eager to promote this drug - can you please declare any conflict of interests?
The closest thing to a conflict of interest I have is that I am currently seeing great results while taking tirzepatide. I find it significantly easier to choose healthier meals made of whole foods with balanced macros, to eat less in general, and to motivate myself to push back towards the exercise habits I had in my 20s. I have no relation to big pharma, and I have no idea if my index fund tracking retirement plans include Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly, but if they do, that's the closest thing I have to a financial incentive in these companies doing well.
> we can start with "Risk of Suicidal Thoughts and thoughts of self-harm with medicines known as GLP-1 receptor agonists,1 including Ozempic (semaglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide) and Wegovy (semaglutide)"
Please read the content you are linking. It said that there were some reports so they were beginning to perform a review. The article specifically mentions the review was set to conclude in Nov 2023. Upon seeing this, I figured it would be a good idea to see if the results of the review had come out.
It took me one google query to find the results: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/meeting-highlights-pharmac...
> The PRAC has concluded that the available evidence does not support a causal association between the Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1) – dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, lixisenatide and semaglutide – and suicidal and self-injurious thoughts and actions.
So we can scratch that one off the list.
Replies
Report results you mentioned -> https://catalogues.ema.europa.eu/system/files/2024-03/FINAL_...
"This study was not a random control trial. It was a comparative cohort study, which is an observational study design.
In a randomized control trial, participants are randomly assigned to different groups, with one group receiving the treatment being studied and the other group receiving a placebo or a different treatment. This allows researchers to determine whether the treatment is effective by comparing the outcomes of the two groups.
In a cohort study, researchers observe a group of people over time to see if there is a relationship between certain exposures and outcomes. Participants are not randomly assigned to groups. The study in the source is specifically a comparative cohort study with an active comparator, new user design.
This means that researchers are comparing the outcomes of two groups of patients: those who are new users of GLP-1 receptor agonists and those who are new users of SGLT-2 inhibitors.
The active comparator is the SGLT-2 inhibitor group. This group is used as a comparison to the GLP-1 receptor agonist group to help researchers determine whether there is an association between the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists and an increased risk of suicide-related and self-harm-related events. It is important to note that cohort studies, like the one described in the source, can only show an association between exposures and outcomes. They cannot prove that one thing causes another."
"Therefore, while the study aims to contribute valuable insights into this potential safety concern, its design and inherent limitations preclude it from making definitive causal statements. Even if the study finds no association, further research, potentially using different methodologies, would be needed to strengthen the evidence and confidently assert that GLP-1 receptor agonists do not causally increase the risk of suicide-related and self-harm-related events"
Taking this into account I'm still going to stick with my ketogenic diet, thank you very much.
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mental Health: Are GLP-1 Drugs Linked to Suicidal Thoughts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izqKRo3e31E
"Yes. I'm a T2 diabetic and have been on an SSRI for years. A couple years ago I was trying to up my dose of Ozempic, as prescribed. Perhaps it was coincidence, but over time I sank into a deep depression and I simply felt like the only reason not to k*l myself was I could never do that to my family. I also developed panic attacks. More fun than a barrel of monkeys! Since then, I've drastically reduced my carbohydrate intake, stopped the Ozempic, and basically made an almost complete recovery. I haven't had a panic attack in two months, and it was mild."
"Dear Dr Scher. I can confirm a very serious major depressive reaction to Saxenda/Liriglutide. This happened 2 days into 1.8mg dose which was exactly when my appetite diminished. Very, very disappointing . This was in spite of taking long-standing Venlafaxine/Effexor, which for this reaction was useless. After stopping Saxenda, my mental state took about 10 days to restabilize. I trust this may be of help to other"
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