Not one but two new studies published today have linked GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic to a decreased risk of developing dementia.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, which affects an estimated 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older, but the studies’ authors say that these drugs could be used as a preventative measure against the disease in the future.
This is just one of a growing list of diseases and conditions Ozempic has been found to improve or help prevent, from colorectal cancer to PCOS to substance abuse.
In one of the two new studies, published in JAMA Neurology, researchers looked at how GLP-1 receptor agonists — drugs like semaglutide, dulaglutide and liraglutide, which are sold as Ozempic, Trulicity and Victoza, respectively — impacted dementia risk in people with type 2 diabetes.
They also studied SGLT2 inhibitors like Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Farxiga (dapagliflozin), which are also used to treat diabetes.
They found that taking either of these classes of drugs was “significantly associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias,” said Dr. Jingchuan Guo, one of the study’s authors.
“It’s exciting that these diabetes medications may offer additional benefits, such as protecting brain health,” Guo told The Post. “As the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) continues to expand, it becomes increasingly important to understand their real-world benefits and risks across diverse populations.”
Meanwhile, an analysis of 26 trials — with a total of 164,531 participants — also published in JAMA Neurology today had similar findings, linking GLP-1 drugs to a 45% lower risk of dementia.
“This research represents a significant contribution to our understanding of how glucose-lowering medications may impact brain health,” study co-author Dr. Catriona Reddin told The Post.
“Diabetes is a known risk factor for dementia, but whether glucose-lowering therapies can help prevent cognitive decline has remained unclear … Our findings suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists, in particular, are associated with reduced risk of dementia.”
Both studies focused specifically on patients with type 2 diabetes. For Guo and her team, that’s in part because they used data going back to 2014, when these treatments were almost exclusively prescribed to diabetics.
“While some newer GLP-1RAs … have recently been approved for obesity treatment, their widespread use for this indication only began in the last few years,” she explained.
Additionally, diabetics tend to be at greater risk for Alzheimer’s because high blood sugar can damage blood vessels in the brain and cause inflammation. Obesity has also been linked to chronic inflammation.
Neuroinflammation — inflammation of the nervous tissue — is often observed in Alzheimer’s patients.
Guo noted that “an important next step” is to look at how these drugs impact people without type 2 diabetes.
Both researchers see the possibility of these drugs being used as Alzheimer’s prevention in the future, though they stress that more studies are needed.
“It’s possible that they may play a role as a preventative measure in the future,” said Reddin. “However, large trials should be conducted to specifically study the effect of glucose-lowering therapy on dementia and cognitive decline. There are a number of trials ongoing looking at the effect of glucose lowering medications on cognition.”
In October, researchers determined that semaglutide lowered the Alzheimer’s risk of people with diabetes more than seven other diabetes drugs.
“Preclinical research has suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation,” said Case Western Reserve University biomedical informatics professor Rong Xu.
