“In the study, researchers assessed the impact of taking GLP-1RAs on the health of 215,000 people with type 2 diabetes over around four years. They then compared these effects to a control group of more than one million individuals who received different types of anti-diabetic drugs. Data on all participants was obtained from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

Overall, the researchers found that GLP-1RAs have many beneficial effects, some of which were previously recognized. For instance, those who took GLP-1RAs had a 9%, 8% and 12% reduced risk of having a heart attack, deep vein thrombosis and Alzheimer’s, respectively, compared to controls. They were also less likely to develop substance-use disorders, including alcohol-use disorders and cannabis-use disorders (both an 11% lower risk), as well as having a 12% lower risk of experiencing bacterial infections.

These effects may somehow be linked to both the health benefits of physically losing weight, as well as other effects of GLP-1RAs in the body, such as reducing inflammation and influencing reward signaling in the brain, Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, study co-author and an assistant professor of medicine at Washington University, said during a Jan. 16 news conference.

However, these benefits did not come without risks, the researchers observed. For example, GLP-1RAs also increased people’s odds of developing gastrointestinal issues such as abdominal pain (12%), plus low blood pressure (6% higher risk) and arthritis (11% higher risk).”

From Live Science.