Depression

Weight-loss medicines and mood: two big real-world studies

What was studied: Two new studies used large health records to look at GLP-1 medicines (the drug family that includes semaglutide) and mental health in everyday care. The first, by researchers at the US National Institutes of Health, used Medicare records of people with type 2 diabetes. It compared people who took a GLP-1 medicine with similar people who took other diabetes medicines, and tracked eight mental health and brain outcomes. The second used Danish national records to follow 189,392 adults who started semaglutide for weight loss, and looked at how their other prescriptions changed over the next year.

What they found: In the Medicare study, GLP-1 use was linked to a slightly higher chance of depression (about 3 extra cases per 1,000 people per year). But it was also linked to lower chances of substance use problems, dementia, and suicidal thoughts or self-harm. The results changed depending on how the medicine was added to someone's treatment. In Denmark, people filled about 7% fewer antidepressant prescriptions than expected after starting semaglutide. But they filled about 16% more prescriptions for anxiety medicines, and that rise was still there two years later.

Why it matters: Millions of people now take these medicines, and many also live with depression or anxiety. These studies suggest the overall mental health picture is mixed, not clearly good or clearly bad. It is a reminder to keep an eye on mood and anxiety when starting one of these medicines.

Honest limits: Neither study was a randomized trial, so they can't show the medicine caused any of these changes. The Medicare study's own authors say the higher risks may reflect differences between patients rather than the drug. The Medicare results apply to people with type 2 diabetes. In the Danish study, prescriptions are not the same as diagnoses, and two of its authors work for the company that makes semaglutide.

Read the originals:

Baik et al., Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (2026): https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.71459
Roland et al., Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (2026): https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.71489

General education only. Not medical advice. Talk with your clinician before changing diet or medication. Crisis (US): call or text 988; emergencies: 911.

Insulin resistance and the brain: a diabetes medicine helped protect it

What was studied: Insulin resistance is when the body stops responding well to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar into cells. It is common and is a known risk factor for dementia. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic scanned the brains of 72 adults, with and without signs of insulin resistance,

Gut supplements for autism: which kind looks most promising?

What was studied: Researchers in China pooled 17 randomized trials with 904 people with autism. The trials tested supplements aimed at gut bacteria: probiotics (live "good" bacteria, either one strain or several), prebiotics (fibers that feed those bacteria), and synbiotics (a mix of both). Using a method that

Keto for depression and bipolar disorder: where the evidence stands

What was studied: This is a review, not a new experiment. Three psychiatry researchers, from Poland and from McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the US, looked at recent research on the ketogenic diet in mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. The ketogenic diet is very low

The Ketogenic Diet and Mental Health: What We Know So Far

Key takeaways * The ketogenic diet is a proven medical diet for some types of epilepsy. Its use in mental health is still being researched. * Small studies in depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia show encouraging results. * There is no high-quality evidence yet. Larger controlled trials are needed. * Keto can affect

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Insulin resistance and the brain: a diabetes medicine helped protect it

Gut supplements for autism: which kind looks most promising?

Keto for depression and bipolar disorder: where the evidence stands

The Ketogenic Diet and Mental Health: What We Know So Far