Association of GLP-1RA discontinuation and risk of depressive and anxiety disorders in people with type 2 diabetes: a cohort study
Discontinuation of GLP-1 receptor agonists is associated with an increased risk of anxiety disorders in people with type 2 diabetes compared with discontinuation of DPP4 or SGLT2 inhibitors.
The psychiatric safety profile of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) is characterized by inconsistent findings during active treatment and remains largely unexplored after cessation. Here we show that GLP-1RA discontinuation is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric events. Using large-scale electronic health records from the Shanghai Hospital Link Database, we investigate incident depressive and anxiety disorders during GLP-1RA treatment and after its discontinuation in people with type 2 diabetes, compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is) or sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is). During treatment, GLP-1RAs show a neutral risk compared with DPP4is and a lower risk compared with SGLT2is. In contrast, after cessation, prior use of GLP-1RAs is associated with a higher risk than prior use of DPP4is or SGLT2is. This increase is modestly mediated by elevated triglyceride levels. These findings highlight the need for clinical vigilance regarding anxiety following GLP-1RA discontinuation.