Ozempic and Wegovy may reduce inflammation by targeting the brain
Weight-loss injections such as Wegovy reduce inflammation in the body by acting on brain cells, according to a study in mice
By Clare Wilson
18 December 2023
Ozempic is a diabetes treatment, but it is often also used to help with weight loss
fcm82/Shutterstock
Weight-loss and diabetes injections such as Wegovy and Ozempic (both semaglutide) may have wider medical benefits than we first thought, after work in mice suggests they act on the brain to lessen body-wide inflammation.
The finding could explain why this class of drugs seems to reduce heart attacks more than would be expected from their weight-loss effects alone.
It also lends support to their use in combating a wider range of health conditions that involve inflammation, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, which is being investigated in trials.
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Everything you need to know about semaglutide weight loss drugs
Semaglutide works by mimicking a gut hormone called GLP-1. Normally released after eating, GLP-1 lowers appetite, makes people feel full and triggers the release of insulin, a hormone involved in blood sugar regulation.
Several studies have suggested that, as well as causing people to lose weight, semaglutide lowers inflammation, which is a mild rise in certain kinds of immune system activity. For instance, semaglutide lowers the level of a compound in the blood called C-reactive protein (CRP), an established sign of inflammation, says Daniel Drucker at the University of Toronto in Canada.
