Causal relationship between GLP-1 agonists and depressive symptomatology in patients with type 2 Diabetes: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are drugs used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and some (Liraglutide and Semaglutide) for weight loss with significant effects on visceral fat. Adverse effects include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea and is associated with an increased frequency of acute pancreatitis. Material and methods: This systematic review has used search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane and the Acsess Medicine platform to search for literature investigating the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists versus other antidiabetic therapies on depressive symptoms including suicidal ideation, finding a total of 07 potential articles related to the use of GLP-1 agonists and their neuropsychological effects. Results: Of the 7 articles analyzed, the type of study design, the period, the number of patients included, the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes, and the use of GLP-1 agonist versus other control treatment therapies are detailed. Conclusion: The studies reviewed indicate that GLP-1 agonists were significantly superior to control treatments in relation to the effect of antidepressant symptomatology, the mechanism by which this effect occurs remains unclear. We found no available verifiable evidence showing a causal association of GLP-1 agonists and depressive symptomatology in patients with type 2 Diabetes.