A study published in Nature Medicine found that people taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in the weight loss drug Wegovy and the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic, did not have an increase in suicidal thoughts compared to those taking other drugs for these conditions. In fact, the study, conducted by researchers from Case Western Reserve University, showed that semaglutide users had a reduced risk of suicidal ideation. The researchers analyzed electronic health data from 240,258 U.S. patients prescribed Wegovy or other weight loss drugs and about 1.6 million people taking Ozempic or other type 2 diabetes drugs. After 6 months, people taking Wegovy had a 73% lower risk of first-time suicidal ideation and a 56% lower risk of recurrent suicidal ideation compared to users of other weight loss drugs. Similarly, people taking Ozempic had a 64% lower risk of first-time suicidal ideation and a 49% lower risk of recurrent suicidal ideation compared to those taking other type 2 diabetes drugs. The study is significant because it contradicts some anecdotal reports and concerns raised by the FDA about the potential for these drugs to increase suicidal thoughts. The National Institutes of Health, which supported the study, emphasized that these findings provide evidence that semaglutide does not appear to increase the risk of suicidal ideation. This research was initiated after European health regulators began investigating reports linking semaglutide to suicidal thoughts. The study's co-author, Dr. Pamela Davis, highlighted the importance of understanding all potential complications of this popular drug, noting that the large and diverse U.S. population studied did not support the notion that semaglutide triggers suicidal thoughts.