Bloomberg (8/20, Kresge, Subscription Publication) reports, “A new study that found evidence of a higher rate of suicidal thoughts among patients taking Novo Nordisk A/S’s popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs is adding to a debate among doctors about the drugs’ safety.”

STAT (8/20, Chen , Subscription Publication) says that after analyzing “a World Health Organization database that tracks suspected adverse drug reactions,” investigators discovered “a 45% greater rate of reports of suicidal thoughts associated with semaglutide, the ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, compared with all other drugs in the database.” After comparing “semaglutide specifically against other diabetes and obesity drugs – including Farxiga, metformin, and orlistat –” investigators “again saw a higher rate of suicidal ideation reported for semaglutide.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Ozempic Suicide Debate Stoked by Study Into Potential Link,”Naomi Kresge, Bloomberg, August 20, 2024

Healio (8/16, Jenkins) reported, “Benzodiazepineswere associated with increased risk for CHD, HF and CV mortality among patients with insomnia, according to a study.” In order “to investigate the association between regular use of Z-drugs (eszopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon) and benzodiazepines (lorazepam, alprazolam, diazepam and triazolam) and CV outcomes – including CHD, HF, stroke and CV mortality – among patients with insomnia,” investigators “used multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to analyze data from 124,445 U.K. Biobank participants aged 40 to 69 years with insomnia.” The findings were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Related Links:

— “Benzodiazepine use may carry CV risks among patients with insomnia,”Cassandra Jenkins, Healio , August 16, 2024

MedPage Today (8/16, George ) reported, “Herpes zoster (shingles) was tied to an elevated risk of subjective cognitive decline, an analysis of 150,000 U.S. healthcare professionals showed.” Investigators also observed that “the risk of subjective cognitive decline was higher for APOE4 carriers versus non-carriers among men (P for interaction=0.02) but not women,” while “the association between herpes zoster and risk of subjective cognitive decline did not differ among people with or without potentially immunocompromising conditions.” The findings were published in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (8/16, Mundell ) reported parents’ excessive smartphone use “could be harming the mental health of children, a new study suggests.” Investigators found that “kids ages 9 to 11 who said their parents spent way too much [time] on their smartphones were more prone to anxiety, attention issues and hyperactivity later on compared to the youngsters of parents who weren’t phone-obsessed.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Parents’ Excessive Smartphone Use Could Be Harming Children’s Mental Health, Study Finds,”Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, August 16, 2024

The Washington Post (8/19, Docter-Loeb) says, “Alcohol consumption played a role in 2.6 million deaths worldwide in 2019, according to a report from the World Health Organization.” After analyzing “alcohol and psychoactive drug usage in 2019 across 145 countries,” investigators observed that “young people ages 20 to 39 and individuals in Europe and Africa made up the largest proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths, and more men than women – 2 million vs. 0.6 million – died because of alcohol, according to the report.” Despite “400 million people globally” experiencing alcohol use disorders, “most of the countries assessed did not have a specific budget line or data on governmental expenditures for treatment.” The findings were published in a news release from WHO.

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)