Drugs that help manage type 2 diabetes are already known for their ability to lower blood sugar, help with weight loss, and reduce heart disease risk.
But a new study in mice has found another potential benefit—these drugs might also help the brain heal better after a stroke, especially when they lead to weight loss.
The study was done by researchers at Karolinska Institutet’s Södersjukhuset (KI SÖS) and was published in the journal Diabetologia. The team focused on a type of diabetes medication called GLP-1R agonists.
These drugs work by targeting a receptor in the body known as GLP-1R, which helps the body regulate blood sugar levels, reduce appetite, and improve heart health. Some well-known GLP-1R drugs include semaglutide (Ozempic) and liraglutide (Saxenda).
In this study, researchers gave these drugs to mice before they had a stroke to see if it would help their brains recover afterward. They found that the drugs improved recovery from stroke—but the key reason was the weight loss caused by the drugs, not just the blood sugar control.
This suggests that the weight-loss effect is an important part of how the brain heals after stroke, especially in people with diabetes.
Dr. Ellen Vercalsteren, one of the lead researchers, explained that these findings show the importance of weight control for people with diabetes who are at risk of stroke. Losing weight could make a big difference in how well someone recovers after a stroke.
Another researcher, Cesare Patrone, who directed the study, added that these results are exciting from a medical point of view and that human studies are already underway to see if the same results happen in people.
The number of people with diabetes is expected to rise sharply in the coming years, reaching about 700 million worldwide by 2045. Stroke is one of the most serious complications of diabetes.
People with diabetes not only face a higher risk of having a stroke but also tend to recover more slowly afterward. That makes this discovery especially important.
While GLP-1R drugs are already known to slightly lower the risk of stroke, this study is the first to look at whether their weight-loss benefits—used in a preventive way—can also help improve how the brain heals after a stroke.
According to Patrone, these results show that focusing on weight loss may be just as important as controlling blood sugar when it comes to stroke recovery.
The researchers believe that other treatments that help with weight loss could also help people recover better from strokes. This means that doctors might want to consider weight-focused strategies in diabetes care, especially for patients at high risk of stroke.
This new research opens up a promising path for better recovery and improved quality of life for people with diabetes. If further studies in humans confirm these results, GLP-1R drugs and similar weight-loss treatments could become important tools not just for managing diabetes but also for helping the brain heal after injury.
If you care about stroke, please read the research about Stronger high blood pressure treatment may help prevent stroke in older people and findings of Stroke death risk increases again after falling for 40 years.
For more about stroke, please read research about Research finds a better high blood pressure treatment for stroke patients and findings of Scientists find a better drug than statins for stroke patients.
The study is published in Diabetologia.
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