A new study has identified 15 reported cases of Wernicke encephalopathy among people using GLP-1 medications for weight loss or diabetes between 2023 and 2024. Researchers reviewed adverse-event reports from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with available medical information, to examine the reported cases.
Wernicke encephalopathy is a serious neurological disorder caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin B1, also known as thiamine. The condition can become life-threatening and may result in lasting memory problems or difficulty forming new memories.
Researchers describe the condition as rare
Medical experts emphasized that Wernicke encephalopathy is uncommon among people taking GLP-1 medications. Physician Karthik Acharya of Chicago, who was not involved in the study, said the researchers identified only 15 cases among the millions of people using these medicines.
The findings therefore describe a rare reported complication rather than evidence that GLP-1 medications commonly cause the condition.
The study was based on FDA adverse-event reports and medical information from 2023 and 2024. Such reports can identify potential safety signals but, on their own, do not establish that a medication directly caused a particular medical condition.