As demand for weight-loss injections sold under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy continues to soar, a study has uncovered neurological and behavioral health benefits amid risks for pancreatitis and kidney disease.

In all, researchers found that people taking GLP-1 medications had lower risks for 42 health outcomes, including liver failure, lung failure, cardiac arrest, aspiration pneumonia and shock.

The findings, based on an analysis of records from 2.5 million VA patients, support much of what scientists already suspected but contain surprises, too.

Some outcomes, like reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and increased chance of nausea, were expected. But others took researchers by surprise.

Over 2 million people were included in new research to test these drugs against 175 different health outcomes.

The skyrocketing popularity of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy, one of a class of drugs called GLP-1s, is fast becoming a state budgetary concern. In deciding whether to cover the medications, policymakers must choose between the long-term benefits of reducing obesity among public employees and their families—which could cut spending on the treatment of chronic diseases—and the short-term costs.

GLP-1 medications linked to a lower risk of dementia and addiction but higher risk of kidney, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal issues. Demand for weight-loss medications, including popular brands like Ozempic and Wegovy,

"All these years I thought that thin people -- those people -- just had more willpower," Winfrey said on her podcast.

Oprah Winfrey says taking a GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic and Wegovy has changed her entire perspective on “thin people.” The media icon, 70, took to her podcast last week to share her experience with an undisclosed type of GLP-1 drug that she began taking in 2023.

Oprah Winfrey shared that weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy helped her understand the challenges of being thin. After losing nearly 50 pounds, she emphasized that these drugs assist in managing cravings and support a healthier lifestyle amidst her struggles with weight.