Subscribe now

Health

Weight-loss medications may also ease chronic pain

Popular semaglutide-based drugs used for weight loss may reduce chronic and acute pain, which could make them a promising alternative to opioids

By Grace Wade

14 November 2024

Weight-loss drugs are helping pin down a potential source of chronic pain

neotemlpars/Shutterstock

Medications like Ozempic and Wegovy may be able to reduce both chronic and acute pain. This makes these types of drugs promising safer alternatives to pain treatments such as opioids, though the effect has yet to be demonstrated in humans.

Ozempic and Wegovy work by mimicking a hormone released after eating known as GLP-1, which reduces appetite and regulates blood sugar levels. While these medications are only approved for treating obesity and type 2…

Article amended on 15 November 2024

We corrected the name of the researcher and the nature of the synthetic molecule used in the research

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers