Risk of Alzheimer’s can be reduced by popular diabetes and weight-loss drug

The active ingredient in the diabetes and weight-loss medications Wegovy and Ozempic is semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) molecule that reduces appetite and aids in blood sugar regulation in type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine have discovered that semaglutide, a common medication used to treat diabetes and aid in weight reduction, may reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) when compared to seven other anti-diabetic medications.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological condition that gradually impairs thinking and memory. Nearly 7 million Americans aged 65 and over suffer with Alzheimer’s, and the illness claims more lives than breast and prostate cancer combined, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Their findings were published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

The active ingredient in the diabetes and weight-loss medications Wegovy and Ozempic is semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) molecule that reduces appetite and aids in blood sugar regulation in type 2 diabetes.

Under the direction of Rong Xu, a professor of biomedical informatics, the study team examined three years’ worth of electronic medical information belonging to around one million T2D patients in the United States. A statistical method that resembles a randomised clinical trial was employed by the researchers.

When compared to those who had taken any of seven other anti-diabetic drugs, including different kinds of GLP-1R-targeting drugs, they discovered that individuals who were administered semaglutide had a noticeably decreased chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s disease is the seventh biggest cause of mortality in the country, accounting for over 120,000 deaths annually.

This new study provides real-world evidence for its impact on Alzheimer’s disease, even though preclinical research has suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.

Rong Xu

When compared to those who had taken any of seven other anti-diabetic drugs, including different kinds of GLP-1R-targeting drugs, they discovered that individuals who were administered semaglutide had a noticeably decreased chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s disease is the seventh biggest cause of mortality in the country, accounting for over 120,000 deaths annually.

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This new study provides real-world evidence for its impact on Alzheimer’s disease, even though preclinical research has suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.

Rong Xu

The limits of the study preclude the researchers from drawing definitive conclusions about the cause of the illness, even if their results would lend credence to the notion that semaglutide could prevent Alzheimer’s, she added.

Our results indicate that further research into semaglutide’s use will need to be further investigated through randomized clinical trials so alternative drugs can be tested as potential treatment for this debilitating illness.

Rong Xu

Source: Case Western Reserve University – News

Journal Reference: Wang, William et al. “Associations of semaglutide with first-time diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: Target trial emulation using nationwide real-world data in the US.” Alzheimer’s & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 10.1002/alz.14313. 24 Oct. 2024, DOI: 10.1002/alz.14313.


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