I wanted to share with you something that I recently read that I find very exciting since I have been doing medical weight loss management for my patients for the last decade.
Recent studies indicate that Ozempic and Wegovy, popular weight-loss drugs by Novo Nordisk, might have promising benefits beyond weight management. Also known as semaglutides, this class of medications is used both as diabetes drugs and as obesity drugs. They help lower blood sugar and interact with the GLP-1 receptors in your body to reduce hunger cues and help you feel fuller.
However, new studies have found that these “GLP-1 agonists” could also potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
In a recent 2024 study from the University of Oxford, researchers observed a 48% decreased risk of dementia among older adults with type 2 diabetes who used GLP-1 agonists compared to those using other diabetes medications like sulfonylureas (such as glipizide, glyburide, and glimepiride) and DPP-4 inhibitors (such as Januvia, Onglyza, Tradjenta, and Nesina). These results hinted at GLP-1s possible benefits for cognitive disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
What the studies show
In a study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in late July 2024, researchers discussed how trial participants treated with GLP-1 agonists showed a significantly lower rate of cognitive decline. The study of more than 200 individuals focused on liraglutide, an active ingredient in two Novo Nordisk brand-name drugs, Saxenda and Victoza. Patients were given either liraglutide or a placebo injection daily. After one year, liraglutide slowed patients’ cognitive decline by up to 18% compared to those who received the placebo.
In addition, the parts of the brain associated with memory, decision-making, and learning showed decreased rates of atrophy with liraglutide. Paul Edison, a professor of neuroscience and medicine at Imperial College London, noted that this could illustrate liraglutide’s ability to protect the brain.
Two phase 3 clinical trials run by Novo Nordisk are currently underway. The trials will compare the effects of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, to a placebo in more than 3,000 individuals diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s or mild impaired cognitive function.
How can GLP-1 drugs protect the brain?
The exact mechanisms are still being studied, but GLP-1 drugs are believed to impact brain health by reducing inflammation and insulin resistance. These drugs mimic the incretin hormones that increase insulin secretion in response to meals. As a result, patients experience better blood sugar control, lower levels of oxidative stress, and improved glucose uptake in cells for more energy at the cellular level. The combination of these factors could potentially protect brain cells from damage. GLP-1s may also reduce the harmful side effects of proteins like amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid protein plaques form between neurons, impairing cell activity and contributing to cell death in the brain.
What does this mean for the fight against Alzheimer’s?
While the results are promising, more randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings definitively. This emerging evidence opens new avenues for using GLP-1 agonists not only for weight loss and diabetes management but also as a potential intervention for cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. It will be interesting to see whether GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tripeptide, sold under brand names Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, and Ozempic, possess the same brain-protecting properties as liraglutides.
The reason I find this research particularly exciting is because it aligns nicely with the growing understanding of the interplay between metabolic health and neurodegenerative diseases. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease affects almost 7 million Americans. There is no known cure. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved two drugs, Leqembi by Biogen and Kisunla by Eli Lilly and Company, to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. GLP-1s could expand medication options for Alzheimer’s patients, hoping to slow the progression of the disease if found effective in protecting the brain.
Integrating such findings into patient care could revolutionize weight management and cognitive health approaches.
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Sources
Ozempic May Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk – Neuroscience News https://neurosciencenews.com/ozempic-alzheimers-risk-26357
https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.062415
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589537024003055
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures
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