Semaglutide, the popular diabetes and weight loss drug, may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
This has been seen in a study from the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine that has compared this popular drug with seven other antidiabetic medications. The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, suggests that patients with type 2 diabetes who take semaglutide have a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. These results were consistent across different subgroups, including obesity status, gender, and age.
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills.
The semaglutidea glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) molecule that decreases hunger and helps regulate blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, is also the active ingredient in diabetes and weight loss medications Wegovy and Ozempic.
The research team, led by biomedical informatics professor Rong Xuanalyzed three years of electronic records from nearly a million American patients with type 2 diabetes. The researchers used a statistical approach that mimics a randomized clinical trial.
They found that patients who were prescribed semaglutide had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those who had taken any of seven other antidiabetic drugs, including other types of drugs targeting the GLP-1R.
Neurodegeneration
“This new study provides real-world evidence for its impact on Alzheimer’s disease, although preclinical research has suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation,” notes Xu.
Although their findings potentially support the idea that semaglutide could prevent Alzheimer’s disease, study limitations prevent researchers from reaching firm causal conclusions.
“Our results indicate that more research on the use of semaglutide will be needed through randomized clinical trials to test alternative medications as a possible treatment for this debilitating disease,” says Xu.
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