Original Research J Clin Psychiatry July 2026

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and All-Cause Overdose Risk in Veterans With Type 2 Diabetes and Opioid Use Disorder

JCP 2026;87(3):10.4088/JCP.25m16212

Full Article Read the complete peer-reviewed article in J Clin Psychiatry. JCP 2026;87(3):10.4088/JCP.25m16212 Clinical Summary Veterans with type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder face substantial overdose risk, and standard medications for opioid use disorder remain underused because of side effects, discontinuation, access barriers, and misuse concerns. This study asks whether semaglutide or tirzepatide, already used in diabetes care, are associated with fewer overdoses in a high-risk VA population. FAQ Did semaglutide or tirzepatide lower overdose risk in Veterans with type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder? 13 questions
Key Takeaways The study emulated 5 separate target trials, comparing semaglutide/tirzepatide against metformin, insulin, sulfonylureas, DPP4i’s, and SGLT2i’s over 12 months, which is clinically useful because overdose associations were not uniform across diabetes drug classes. 6 takeaways Clinical Guide How should clinicians use this study when choosing diabetes therapy for Veterans with type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder? 7 steps
Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc. (PPP) makes no warranties about the accuracy or completeness of any information published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry or other PPP materials, and disclaims liability for any use or non-use of that information. Clinicians should not rely solely on these materials and should exercise their own professional judgment when making patient care decisions on an individualized basis.

Learn More About Psychedelics in Psychiatry

Explore the Collection
Neural network illustration symbolizing psychedelic research advancements

Subscribe to read
more articles

Subscribe