Source : Perth Now news
Weight-loss drugs may be rewiring the brain in ways far beyond shrinking waistlines.
New research suggests medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro could reduce not only hunger but also cravings for sex, alcohol and even gambling.
The drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes but have become famous for helping patients lose weight by mimicking a natural hormone that slows digestion and signals fullness.
Now researchers at the University of Virginia believe they may also reshape the brain’s reward system.
The study, published in Nature, focused on a new generation of oral GLP-1 drugs and found they directly influenced brain circuits linked to pleasure, motivation and cravings.
Scientists tested oral drugs danuglipron and orforglipron, developed by Pfizer and Eli Lilly, using genetically engineered mice whose GLP-1 brain receptors closely resemble those in humans.
Researchers discovered the drugs not only acted on the hindbrain, which controls fullness and nausea, but also triggered a pathway connecting to the central amygdala and dopamine-producing neurons.
Dopamine is often called the brain’s “feel-good” chemical and plays a key role in reward and addictive behaviours.
Lead author Dr Ali D. Güler said: “This is just the beginning.
“If we understand these pathways, we may be able to design treatments that target specific behaviors — whether that’s overeating, addiction or something else entirely.
“If these drugs are affecting reward pathways in the brain, that has implications beyond weight loss. It could influence things like addiction, impulse control or even how people experience pleasure.”
The findings may help explain why some users report losing interest in habits and pleasures beyond food.
Dr Güler said: “What we show is that these drugs can reduce not just hunger, but the desire to pursue rewarding food.
“They’re acting on the system that makes you want the cake, not just the system that makes you feel full.”
Around one in eight US adults have reportedly taken GLP-1 drugs at least once.
While the research was conducted in mice, scientists believe it offers valuable clues about how the medications work in humans.
Dr Güler added: “These are powerful compounds. We need to understand them fully as they move into everyday use.”
