Scientists at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine have discovered that semaglutide, a well-known drug used for managing diabetes and weight loss, could potentially lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
The research compared semaglutide to seven other diabetes drugs and found a significant difference in the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain condition that leads to the gradual loss of memory and thinking abilities. The disease is widespread, affecting almost 7 million Americans aged 65 and older.
It is also a leading cause of death, with more fatalities linked to Alzheimer’s than breast and prostate cancer combined.
In this study, researchers used data from nearly 1 million T2D patients in the United States. They analyzed three years of medical records to explore if the use of semaglutide had any link to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s.
The findings showed that T2D patients taking semaglutide had a notably lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared to those using other common diabetes medications. This trend held true across various groups of people, regardless of their age, gender, or weight.
Semaglutide is a drug that belongs to a group of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs work by helping to lower blood sugar levels and reducing appetite in people with type 2 diabetes.
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in the popular diabetes and weight-loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy.
While semaglutide is primarily used for diabetes and weight loss, recent preclinical studies have hinted that it might also protect the brain from certain types of damage, such as inflammation and nerve cell degeneration.
The research was led by Rong Xu, a professor specializing in biomedical informatics at Case Western Reserve. Her team conducted a thorough statistical analysis, aiming to imitate the kind of data one would collect from a clinical trial.
This method allowed them to make comparisons between semaglutide and other diabetes drugs with greater confidence.
The study results revealed that semaglutide users had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared to users of other diabetes medications, including different GLP-1 receptor-targeting drugs.
The findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that semaglutide could offer benefits beyond its main purpose of managing diabetes and weight.
Alzheimer’s disease takes a heavy toll on society. Every year, around 120,000 Americans die from it, making it the seventh-leading cause of death in the country. Given these numbers, even a small reduction in risk could make a big difference in many people’s lives.
Rong Xu expressed her optimism about the findings, emphasizing the importance of using real-world data to explore possible effects of existing drugs on Alzheimer’s disease.
She noted that, while preclinical research had hinted at a link between semaglutide and brain protection, this study is one of the first to show such an effect in people.
However, Xu also cautioned that these findings are not enough to prove a definite cause-and-effect relationship between semaglutide and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s. The study has its limitations, and further research is needed to confirm these results.
The only way to draw firm conclusions would be through well-designed clinical trials. Such trials could help determine if semaglutide, or similar drugs, can actually prevent Alzheimer’s disease or slow its progression in people with diabetes.
Overall, this study opens the door to new possibilities in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Although semaglutide was initially developed for diabetes management, its potential to reduce the risk of a devastating brain disorder like Alzheimer’s is a promising development that deserves further exploration.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about vitamin D deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, and blood pressure problem at night may increase Alzheimer’s risk.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and epilepsy drug may help treat Alzheimer’s disease.
The research findings can be found in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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