Likelihood of Psych Disorders Lower With Weight-Loss Surgery Versus GLP-1 RAs

FRIDAY, June 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — People undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) are less likely to develop psychiatric disorders than those treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), according to a study presented the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, held from June 15 to 19 in Washington, D.C.

Abdallah Attia, M.D., from the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and colleagues compared the risk for psychiatric disorders among patients treated with GLP-1 RAs (semaglutide, liraglutide, and dulaglutide) versus MBS during a five-year follow-up in a retrospective cohort analysis. Each cohort included 33,600 patients after propensity score matching.

The researchers found that compared with treatment with GLP-1 RAs, MBS was associated with a significantly lower risk for anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and cognitive deficits (hazard ratios, 0.60, 0.61, and 0.36, respectively). No significant differences were seen for psychotic disorders or posttraumatic stress disorder. No meaningful differences were seen between the groups for rare conditions, including dissociative and impulse-control disorders.

“The data supports embedding psychiatric screening and support within both surgical and medical obesity programs to help reduce the potential mental health burden after treatment,” coauthor Shauna Levy, M.D., also from Tulane University School Medicine, said in a statement. “Further investigation is needed, however, to determine why the psychological impact is so different between treatment modalities.”

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