A recent study from the Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, suggests that a type of diabetes medication called GLP-1 agonists may also lower the risk of developing dementia in people with type 2 diabetes. This discovery could bring new hope for older adults who are managing diabetes and worried about memory loss and cognitive decline.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body struggles to use insulin effectively, causing blood sugar levels to rise. Over time, high blood sugar can damage many parts of the body, including the brain.
Studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk of developing dementia, a condition that affects memory, thinking, and everyday functioning. Because of this link, researchers have been investigating whether diabetes medications might also help protect brain health.
GLP-1 agonists are a class of drugs that have been widely used to help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels. These medications also promote weight loss and improve heart health.
Now, researchers are discovering that they may also help protect against dementia. The recent study tracked over 88,000 older adults with type 2 diabetes for up to ten years to see if GLP-1 agonists could make a difference.
The researchers used a method called “target trial emulation,” which is a way of studying treatments that is designed to work like a clinical trial.
This method allows scientists to compare different treatments as if it were an experiment, even though the study is based on real-world medical records. This gives researchers a clearer idea of how well medications work over a long period of time.
In the study, the researchers looked at three types of diabetes medications: GLP-1 agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, and sulfonylureas. They wanted to know if there was any difference in the rate of dementia among people taking these different drugs.
The results were quite surprising. They found that people who took GLP-1 agonists had a 30% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who took sulfonylureas. Even when compared to DPP-4 inhibitors, another common diabetes medication, the risk was 23% lower for those on GLP-1 agonists.
Bowen Tang, a Ph.D. student working on the study under the guidance of Sara Hägg at the Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, emphasized how important these findings are.
He explained that this new information could help doctors choose better treatment options for older diabetes patients, not just to manage blood sugar but also to protect brain health. If further studies confirm these results, it could mean that some diabetes medications might do double duty: controlling blood sugar and reducing the risk of memory loss and cognitive decline.
Although these findings are promising, the researchers caution that more studies are needed. They recommend conducting larger and more detailed clinical trials to confirm that GLP-1 agonists truly protect against dementia. Such studies would also help scientists understand how these medications affect the brain and whether the benefits can be seen in all types of patients.
The researchers are hopeful that with further evidence, GLP-1 agonists could become an important part of dementia prevention strategies for people with diabetes. This could help reduce the growing number of dementia cases worldwide, especially as populations continue to age.
This study opens up new possibilities for treating diabetes and protecting brain health at the same time. It also encourages doctors and patients to think more broadly about the benefits of diabetes treatments beyond just blood sugar control. As research continues, GLP-1 agonists might become a key part of how we fight both diabetes and dementia.
If you care about dementia, please read studies that eating apples and tea could keep dementia at bay, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health.
For more health information, please see recent studies what you eat together may affect your dementia risk, and time-restricted eating: a simple way to fight aging and cancer.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
