Study finds GLP-1 drugs cause a drop in violent behavior

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Popular GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy are best known for helping people lose weight and manage diabetes. New research from Rutgers University suggests these drugs may also be linked to changes in behaviors associated with violence.

The study, published in Criminology, investigated whether GLP-1 receptor agonists influence violent criminal behavior in adults. Researchers focused on whether the medications might alter the effects of two factors that are strongly connected to violence: impulsivity and alcohol consumption.

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The team compared current users with former users and examined how medication use affected the relationship between violent behavior, impulsivity, and alcohol use. Violent behavior was assessed using a validated self-report measure that included actions such as fighting, assault, and robbery.

"The strongest finding in the study was that the well-established link between impulsivity and violent behavior was substantially weaker among current GLP-1 users compared to former users," said Daniel Semenza, the lead author of the study as well as the director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at the Rutgers School of Public Health and an associate professor with the Rutgers School of Public Health.

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