A large study led by researchers at Case Western Reserve University suggests that semaglutide—a drug already popular for managing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and weight loss—may also reduce the risk of developing dementia in people with T2D.
The findings, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, offer new hope for preventing one of the most feared conditions affecting older adults.
Dementia is a progressive disorder that damages brain cells and interferes with memory, reasoning, and daily functioning. It currently affects over 6 million Americans and causes more than 100,000 deaths each year.
There is no cure, but scientists believe nearly half of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in well-known drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, helps regulate blood sugar and reduces appetite. It belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. While originally developed to manage T2D, semaglutide has since shown additional benefits—such as lowering the risk of heart disease—and now, potentially, dementia.
The Case Western team, led by Professor Rong Xu, examined electronic health records from nearly 1.7 million patients with T2D across the U.S. They compared dementia rates among patients taking semaglutide to those taking any of seven other common diabetes medications.
Importantly, the researchers used a statistical method designed to simulate the conditions of a randomized clinical trial—one of the most trusted methods in medical research.
Their results showed that patients taking semaglutide were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s-related dementia than those on other drugs. The effect was even more pronounced in women and in older adults, both of whom are more vulnerable to cognitive decline.
Xu, who also directs the university’s Center for AI in Drug Discovery, emphasized that the findings are promising but not conclusive. Since this was an observational study, it cannot prove cause and effect.
Still, she believes the results strongly support the need for clinical trials to see if semaglutide could be used to help prevent dementia, especially in high-risk groups like people with T2D.
“Right now, there is no effective treatment or cure for dementia,” Xu said. “This study provides real-world evidence suggesting semaglutide might be a valuable tool in slowing or preventing its development.”
While further research is needed, this study adds to the growing list of potential benefits linked to semaglutide—suggesting it may not only help people manage their weight and blood sugar, but also protect their brains as they age.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that MIND diet may reduce risk of vision loss disease, and Vitamin D could benefit people with diabetic neuropathic pain.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies that Vitamin E could help reduce blood sugar and insulin resistance in diabetes, and results showing eating eggs in a healthy diet may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure.
The research findings can be found in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
