Blue plastic basket filled with Ozempic dispensers. Photo by Chemist4U CC 2.0
Addiction, Drugs, Weight Loss

GLP‑1 drugs may fight addiction across every major substance, according to a study of 600,000 people

In the group already struggling with addiction, there were 50% fewer deaths due to substance use among those taking GLP-1 drugs compared with those who were not. We also found 39% fewer overdoses, 26% fewer drug-related hospitalizations and 25% fewer suicide attempts. Over three years, this translated to roughly 12 fewer serious events in total per 1,000 people using GLP-1 drugs – including two fewer deaths.

ChatGPT of a multicolored spiral.
Drugs, Mental Health, Research

Can a psychedelic-induced mystical experience really improve your mental health?

Mystics once spent years meditating in caves in search of transcendence. Today, a growing number of people believe something similar can be reached in a single afternoon with the help of a psychedelic drug. Swallow a capsule of psilocybin or take a carefully supervised dose of LSD and you may encounter what many describe as one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives. Modern clinical trials appear to support this.

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Alternative Medicine, Drugs, Health Policy

How a Croatian Lab Spawned a Buzzy Peptide Now Popular With MAHA

BPC-157 is a kind of chemical called a peptide, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration treats it and some other peptides as unapproved drugs — going so far in 2023 as to explicitly prohibit compounding pharmacies from supplying BPC-157 to patients. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has more recently signaled a desire to loosen restrictions on experimental medical treatments, including unapproved peptides like BPC-157.