Weight loss jabs ease depression and migraines in menopause – study

Wegovy is linked to lower risks of migraine and depression in menopausal women than hormone therapy alone, a study has found.

Women across all menopause stages taking semaglutide had a 42 to 45 per cent lower risk of migraine six months after starting the medication and a 25 per cent lower risk of depression than those who took menopausal hormone therapy alone.

The findings are based on a one-year real-world study of more than 34,000 menopausal women in the US who took hormone therapy, Wegovy or a combination of both.

They were announced by Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk, alongside data from the randomised, double-blinded STEP UP and SELECT trials, at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul last week.

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Wegovy, a weight-loss drug.

Dr Emilia Huvinen, a gynaecologist researcher and associate professor at the University of Helsinki, who was involved in two of the three studies, said: “Menopause, associated weight gain and unwanted changes in cardiometabolic markers can significantly impact long-term health and wellbeing of women.

“Still, they remain one of the most neglected areas in obesity research.

“Whether we look at cardiovascular outcomes or weight loss across menopausal stages, semaglutide appears to offer meaningful benefits for women with obesity that extend well beyond weight loss alone.”

Cardiometabolic markers are measures linked to heart and metabolic health, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and waist size.

Analysis of the STEP UP trial found that premenopausal women with obesity lost an average of 22.6 per cent of their body weight when taking a once-weekly dose of Wegovy compared with placebo.

A placebo is a dummy treatment used to compare results against an active medicine.

Researchers said the average waist circumference reduction in premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women was 17.5 per cent, 15.6 per cent and 15.3 per cent respectively, indicating a major loss of dangerous visceral fat.

Visceral fat is fat stored around internal organs and is linked to a higher risk of heart and metabolic disease.

The STEP UP trial involved 1,407 adults with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or above and investigated the efficacy and safety of Wegovy 7.2mg jabs.

BMI is a measure that uses height and weight to estimate whether a person is in a healthy weight range.

The SELECT trial involved 17,604 participants aged 45 or older with a BMI of 27 or above and assessed the impact of Wegovy on cardiovascular health compared with placebo.

A post-hoc analysis of the SELECT trial found that perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with obesity and heart disease had a reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular death.

A post-hoc analysis is carried out after a study has finished and can help identify patterns, although it is generally seen as less definitive than the original planned analysis.

Novo Nordisk said obesity affects nearly one in five women globally, and the burden intensifies during menopause because hormonal changes accelerate weight gain, redistribute fat to the abdomen and increase cardiometabolic risk.

It added that the three studies show that when women with obesity lose weight with Wegovy, they improve their body composition with reduced waist circumference, indicating less visceral fat, and also reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes while improving quality of life, from migraine burden to depression and menopause symptoms.