Ozempic and similar drugs could impact taste and smell for some people

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-06-26 01:00

International

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People taking Ozempic or other GLP1-RA diabetes/weight loss drugs are at higher risk of disruptions to their sense of taste or smell compared to people on other diabetes medications, according to international research. The team recruited 438,474 people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and prescribed a GLP-RA, and matched them with 438,474 people of a similar demographic who were prescribed a different diabetes drug, monitoring them for issues with their taste and smell for up to two years. Overall, the researchers say among the GLP1-RA group, 769 experienced a taste disturbance, and 649 reported a smell disturbance, compared with 445 taste disturbances and 316 smell disturbances in the other medication group. They say more work needs to be done to understand this increased risk of taste and smell issues, and in the meantime, healthcare professionals and their patients should be aware that this could happen.

News release

From: JAMA

Smell and Taste Disturbances Among Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Users

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) therapy is associated with a higher risk of smell and taste disturbance, highlighting the need for closer monitoring and greater public health awareness. Future research is required to validate these findings and to further explore the mechanisms underlying this association.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Hebrew University, Israel

Funder: None reported

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