GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wigovy may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

• Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may protect against Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
• People using this drug have a reduced risk of being diagnosed with the disease.
• Both diseases share insulin resistance and inflammation..
• Semaglutide may also help clear amyloid beta from the brain.
• Amyloid-beta plaques can damage and destroy brain cells and cause dementia.

According to study Published in magazine on October 24, 2024 Alzheimer's disease and dementiatype 2 diabetes and weight loss drug semaglutide (sold under the trade name) Ozempic, Wegsand fishing) may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

The people who were using Semaglutide They had a lower risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease than people using other diabetes medications.

People with this disease experience severe memory loss and cognitive decline that interferes with daily life.

It is an incurable disease and gradually worsens over time.

A team of researchers at Case Western Reserve examined three years' worth of medical records of more than 1 million people living with the following conditions: type 2 diabetes In the US.

Study participants were required to be new users of antidiabetic drugs, defined as not having used antidiabetic drugs within the past 6 months.

Six distinct populations who have never been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease were identified: all patients, people over 60 years old, women, men, and people with Alzheimer's disease. obesityand patients without obesity.

For each of these groups, we conducted seven controlled trials comparing semaglutide and insulin. metformindipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, and other GLP-1RAs (albiglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, and lixisenatide).

Their methodology includes Target trial emulationa type of research that aims to mimic a randomized controlled trial (RCT), but instead of recruiting new participants and studying how an intervention affects outcomes, it relies on existing data. use.

RCTs are considered the gold standard for evaluating the safety and effectiveness of drug treatments for diseases. However, due to constraints such as time, funding, and ethical considerations, observational studies may be conducted instead.

Targeted trial emulation aims to generate observational studies with higher quality data that are closer to RCTs.

Analysis of the data found that the use of semaglutide reduced the risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease by 40% to 70% in patients with type 2 diabetes. This is compared to seven other similar diabetes medications.

The results were consistent even when people's obesity status, biological sex, and age were taken into account.

However, the study authors said that due to study limitations, they could not definitively say that semaglutide was responsible for this effect. Further research is needed to confirm that semaglutide truly prevents Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Ramit Singh SambyarAssociated General Physician clinic spot The professor, who was not involved in the study, explained that semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs).

These drugs work by mimicking the effects of hormones. GLP-1;This helps regulate insulin and blood sugar levels.

“Semaglutide has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, which is critical because inflammation and insulin resistance are both deeply involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease,” he said. Ta.

Dr. Sambial went on to explain that people with type 2 diabetes are up to 50% to 100% more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease compared to people without diabetes.

“Insulin resistance in the brain is an emerging factor in Alzheimer's disease research, and in some cases is the cause of the condition called 'Alzheimer's disease,'” he continued.type 3 diabetesThis is due to the metabolic dysfunction observed in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. ”

Dr. John LoweA Restore Care physician who was not involved in the study spoke of another way semaglutide may protect the brain. “They are [GLP-1 drugs] May cross the blood-brain barrier, clearance “It's an effect of amyloid beta, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease,” he said.

amyloid beta peptidealso known as beta amyloida “sticky” substance that can accumulate in the brain, possibly due to problems with its production, accumulation, or disposal, leading to the formation of plaques. It can interfere with brain cell communication and eventually kill the cells.

“This two-pronged approach, particularly its potential to improve metabolic health and brain health, suggests that semaglutide may be the answer to how to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people with diabetes,” Professor Lowe said. said.

The type 2 diabetes and weight loss drug semaglutide may also have applications in preventing Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

This progressive and incurable form of dementia is called “type 3 diabetes” because of the insulin and inflammation that appears to be common to type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

It may also be possible to remove amyloid beta, a toxic substance believed to be the cause of Alzheimer's disease, from the brain.

However, further research is needed to confirm whether semaglutide can truly prevent Alzheimer's disease.