# The Unexpected Health Benefits of Ozempic and Mounjaro  ## Metadata - Author:: [[Rachel Fairbank]] - Full Title:: The Unexpected Health Benefits of Ozempic and Mounjaro - Category: #articles - URL: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/weight-loss-drugs-glp1-benefits-addiction-heart-kidney-failure-infertility ## Highlights > The FDA recently approved semaglutide, the active ingredient of Wegovy, for the [treatment of obesity](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-treatment-chronic-weight-management-first-2014) and for [reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with obesity and heart disease](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-reduce-risk-serious-heart-problems-specifically-adults-obesity-or). But as the number of people taking these drugs grows, physicians and researchers are learning about unanticipated health benefits for conditions where treatments have been limited, such as addiction, heart failure, and kidney disease. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w468nn0jj9ncb6dwtde5t6)) > Arnold quit smoking while participating in a clinical trial examining the potential of GLP-1 agonists as a treatment for smoking addiction. > “It was totally opposite of when I tried to quit in my previous years,” Arnold says. “I was shocked at how calm I was, compared to how I used to think about quitting.” Instead of anxiety and rage, she felt at peace, and her cravings faded. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w46wqf25a8vexz95s70p4e)) #### Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction > The result: patients who received the drug showed fewer symptoms and reported a better quality of life, compared to those who received the placebo. Patients who received the drug had lower levels of C-reactive protein, which is a marker for inflammation. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w49q7yfn7d7ywh1e9trm0n)) #### Kidney disease > As a [couple of recent studies](https://journals.lww.com/Kidney360/fulltext/2021/02000/Clinical_Outcomes_by_Albuminuria_Status_with.8.aspx) [have shown](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(18)30104-9/abstract), the GLP-1 agonist dulaglutide helps patients who suffer from chronic kidney disease and diabetes. In a recent trial looking at the effect of semaglutide on patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes, the treatment was so effective at delaying the progression of chronic kidney disease that the [clinical trial was stopped early](https://www.novonordisk.com/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=166327) so that all the trial patients could benefit from the drug. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w4cv92eky0fdya3x367hst)) > As Tuttle notes, the effects on the kidneys is only partially due to reductions in risk factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight. Other benefits are likely to result from reduced inflammation. > “They have a profound anti-inflammatory effect,” Tuttle says. “Our field is really under recognizing the importance of inflammation, particularly in kidney damage caused by diabetes.” ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w4enw767k3a7kvmyvvch4r)) #### Effects on fertility > Although more research is needed to explore the link between GLP-1 agonists and pregnancy, it’s become enough of a phenomenon that ‘Ozempic babies’ has become a trending phrase. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w4g8s83zq6cmrgq31bkzpv)) > This means that oral birth control may not be as effective. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w4h33w21dpzx34amtm3m2m)) > The second factor is the link between polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)—the leading cause of infertility in women—and insulin resistance. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w4hhnf0rwdqtb9twsn7g7g)) > However, the effects of these drugs on pregnancy are still unknown ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w4j4w04ycsawda9pnxwqtn)) #### Treating addiction > Although more research is needed, it’s thought that the part of the brain that is responsible for food cravings overlaps with the part of the brain that is responsible for cravings for substances of abuse ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9w4kqd7f3wj6a7t867yqf9r))