Scientists Find Intriguing Link Between Ozempic and Violent Behavior
A Rutgers University study examined survey data and found that people currently using GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic showed a weaker link between impulsivity, alcohol use, and violent behavior. The researchers reported that the association between impulsivity and violence was about 62% weaker and the link between alcohol use and violence about 52% weaker among current users. The authors emphasize that the observational design cannot prove causation and call for further longitudinal research.
- ▪The analysis used data from a nationally representative survey of 7,521 U.S. adults, focusing on 821 individuals who had ever taken a GLP-1 medication, including 597 current users.
- ▪Among current GLP-1 users, the relationship between impulsivity and violent behavior was roughly 62% weaker, and the relationship between alcohol use and violence was about 52% weaker compared to former users.
- ▪The study is cross‑sectional and observational, so it cannot establish a cause‑and‑effect link between GLP‑1 use and reduced violent behavior.
- ▪Researchers noted that GLP‑1 drugs have been shown in other studies to affect reward processing, cravings for alcohol and other substances, and stress regulation, which may underlie the observed behavioral effects.
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It’s become a running joke at this point that GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) can help with almost everything under the Sun, not just weight loss. A study out today now suggests GLP-1s might even have the potential to curb people’s violent tendencies. Scientists at Rutgers University examined nationally representative survey data that compared former and current GLP-1 users. In people currently taking GLP-1s, they found, the link between being impulsive and being more prone to violence was noticeably weaker. Though the team’s findings are far from certain proof that GLP-1s can reduce violent behavior, they do warrant follow-up research, the authors say.
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