Weight loss jabs such as Ozempic could banish depression and make you happier, a study claims
WEIGHT loss jabs could banish blues as well as bellies, a study claims.
People taking the injections showed 'significantly improved' emotional wellbeing in trials.
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Experts at the University of Bern in Switzerland reviewed 36 studies on a total of 26,000 people to check the impact of the medication.
They found that drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro had 'beneficial effects' on depression and bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, found no link between the jabs and new mental health problems or thoughts about self-harm or suicide.
Study author Dr Sigrid Breit said they 'exert a positive effect on mental state and quality of life.'
Depression and other disorders have been linked to low-grade swelling in the brain, which the drugs may help to bring down.
Dr Breit said: 'They may have antidepressant and anti- anxiety effects due to their anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce inflammation in the brain.
'These results are particularly important for people with severe mental disorders, who are three times more likely to be living with obesity than the general population.
'Future studies should explore whether these medications might be useful for the direct treatment of mental health disorders.'
Dr Ed Beveridge, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: 'We know that many people with mental illness have weight management issues.
'It is crucial that they are regarded as a priority group for access to this medication where appropriate.'
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Weight loss drugs linked to higher risk of eye damage in diabetic patients
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How weight loss injections dey affect pregnancy and contraceptives?
Di UK medicines regulator don warn women wey dey use weight loss injections say make dem find beta contraception use. Di Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) say e neva clear weda medicine like Wefgovy and Mounjaro fit affect belle. E also warn say dis injections wey you dey see so fit make di contraceptives to no work as e dey work for pipo wey dey overweight or obese. Fear dey say wit di way wey dis 'skinny jabs' dem dey trend, plenti women no dey use drugs safely or even get beta advice as to how dem go use am. Di thinking be say di side effects of dis medication wey be vomiting and diarrhoea and di fact say dem dey slow down di way belle dey take empty mean say di contraceptive medicine fit no enta bodi well. Di MHRA say women suppose use contraceptive togeda wit GLP-1 medicines and for a certain period afterwards before dem try to get belle - two months for Wegovy and Ozempic, and one month for Mounjaro. Dem also advice say pesin wey dey use Mounjaro and oral contraceptives get two options. Either dem go follow di contraception wit condoms for four weeks afta dem start di injection or else make dem change contraception go coil or implant. Advice for di use of contraception alreadi dey di leaflet wey dey follow di medicine but MHRA don issue dia own guidance join. Di drugs safety board say make pesin no take di weight-loss injections if: Dem suppose dey give women dis informate wen dem start to dey collect di injections, but worry dey say di warning no dey enta well. Natasha Major, 26, start to use Mounjaro to lose weight bifor she plan to born her third pikin in a few years. But e shock am as just six weeks later, she find out say, she don carry belle. She bin dey take contraceptive pill dat time. She tok say, "I get polycystic ovaries too, so I no dey quick-quick get belle like dat. So e even shock me pass say e easy to carry belle like dat, bicos e no make sense to me." She den start to dey worry about weda she go harm her pikin or weda di baby no go grow well. Natasha come follow her doctor tok for advice and na so dem tell am, make she stop di medicine. She say, "we don pass di first shock nand now dey very happy. Di last time wey I take di injection na just three hours bifor I find out say I don carry belle and I neva take am since dat time." Natasha add say, "I bin do early scan to make sure say di belle make sense and e dey okay, baby bin get small heartbeat and evritin dey good". Di MHRA and doctors and pharmacists dey worry say dem no dey use di popular GLP-1 medicine like Wegovy, Mounjaro, Saxenda, Victoza and Ozempic, safely. Dis prescription medicines dey licensed to treat obesity (and type 2 diabetes for Ozempic). E dey make pipo to feel full by acting as di hormone wey bodi dey release afta pesin don chop. Mounjaro dey also work wit anoda hormone wey dey linked to appetite and blood sugar control. Normally, na pipo wey get very high BMI, na im NHS dey give di drugs but pipo fit buy am for chemists. E don popular sotay dem don dey sell am illegally for social media and for beauty saons witout medical advice as sharp-sharp way to lose weight. Di MHRA dey advise pipo make dem follow di prescriber tok about di risks and benefits of taking dem, and understand di potential side-effects by talking to a doctor or pharmacist. E don act now because e don receive around 40 reports relating to pregnancy wey dem make to im Yellow Card scheme, wia di public fit report suspected side-effects of medicines. Some of dis be pregnancies wey hapun by mistake. Di chief safety officer for di MHRA, Dr Allison Cave tok say dem find evidence for animal studies say, "dis medicine dem fit harm unborn pikin. But we no know weda e go get di same effect for human beings, we need more data for dat one". Dem no use women wey dey child bearing age do dis clinical trial and na why safety information no dey for dem. Dr Cave say if pesin get belle and dem dey take di medicine, make dem follow dia doctor tok on how to stop am as soon as possible. Di vice chairwoman for di National Pharmacy Association, Sukhi Basra tok say make women go pharmacist for advice if dem dey confused as to wen dem suppose to stop to dey take di drugs. Dr Bassel Wattar wey be sabi pesin on pregnancy and consultant for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals, say di implant or intrauterine coil na "more ogbonge contraception" dan oral combined contraceptive pill while pesin dey take di injections. For some women, to lose plenti weight fit help some women to get back dia natural ovulation and boost dia chance to get belle but e tok say dis kain tin, need planning safely wit specialist doctors "so di pregnancy go dey safe afta washout period of dis drugs". Di British Pregnancy Advisory Service, tok say women for UK, dey face ogbonge challenges wen dem dey try access dia contraceptive method of choice. Lack of appointments, long waiting lists and high costs na just some of di kasala dem dey face, according to di BPAS. Dis na as dem dey ask for beta plan to provide dis choices dem for women.
