The FDA has approved GLP-1 drugs for the treatment of kidney disease, heart disease, liver disease and sleep apnea β in addition to diabetes and obesity. Studies show early signs of positive effects also in cancer, asthma, fertility, dementia and inflammation.
A large study of more than 600,000 U.S. veterans shows that GLP-1 drugs were associated with a 14 percent lower risk of developing new substance use disorders. Among people with existing substance use disorders, overdoses dropped by 40 percent and substance-related deaths were cut in half.