Sold under brand names like Wegovy and Ozempic, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have become a popular way to curb appetite and lose weight.
A new study suggests the drug’s influence over our brain’s control systems may attenuate behaviors linked to aggression, which, given the widespread use of these pharmaceuticals, could ultimately dampen the rate of violent crime.
From its origins as treatment for type 2 diabetes, the class of GLP-1 RAs is now considered to be something of a wonder drug, with researchers touting its potential benefits in everything from cardiovascular health to kidney function, to easing sleep apnea.
Its mechanism of action is relatively straightforward. Our gut naturally produces glucagon-like peptide-1, which – as a hormone – triggers a variety of processes throughout the body, including the release of insulin from the pancreas and blocking the release of a hormone from the liver that raises the body’s blood sugar.
GLP-1 RA is a receptor agonist, meaning it mimics the hormone’s activity at the cell receptor level. The consequences are far-reaching, limiting blood sugar levels and slowing the stomach’s emptying and reducing food intake.
Beyond that, the agonist also seems to inhibit cravings. Not just for food, but for anything rewarding, including drugs, alcohol, and even gambling.
This cross-over into behavioral influences makes its social implications a significant area of research as the medication’s popularity increases.
“As GLP-1 medications become increasingly widespread, understanding their broader behavioral effects becomes an important public health and criminological question that requires careful study,” says Rutgers University sociologist Daniel Semenza.
Using self-reported data from a survey on 821 adults conducted in the US last year, Semenza and his colleague Christopher Thomas found associations between alcohol use, impulsivity, and violent criminality were weaker among current users of GLP-1 RA medications than those who have used the medication in the past.
While curbing drinking could in itself explain a drop in spontaneous violence, the study found that impulsive acts carried out while under the influence of alcohol were less likely to escalate.
“Although we remain restrained in our interpretation given the cross-sectional and self-report nature of the data, the results raise the hypothesis that GLP-1 RA use could alter widely documented associations between impulsivity and violence,” Semenza and Thomas write in their published report.
While the study doesn’t shed any light on the reasons for the drop in violent acts, ongoing research continues to highlight neurological pathways related to reward and stress that are likely to be involved.
The researchers stress findings such as these should not be interpreted as a means of controlling behavior, nor should it divert attention away from research on crime prevention on a community level.
Understanding how medications used by so many people around the world could affect our minds – both for good and bad – is critical if we’re to make informed decisions about managing our health.
This research was published in Criminology.
Source: Rutgers University
Fact-checked by Bronwyn Thompson
