Researchers have found that Wegovy and Ozempic may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In a large study involving over a million patients, those who used Semaglutide (Ozempic) were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those on other diabetes medications like insulin and metformin.
This research was led by Dr. Rong Xu from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine.
Major reduction in Alzheimer’s risk
Patients using Ozempic had the biggest drop in Alzheimer’s risk compared to insulin users, showing a 67% lower chance of diagnosis. Other similar drugs, known as GLP-1 medications, also reduced Alzheimer’s risk by 41%. This effect remained consistent across different ages, genders, and body weights.
Dr. Xu noted that while past studies suggested Ozempic might protect the brain, this new data shows its real-world potential. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings and see if Ozempic or similar drugs could be a reliable Alzheimer’s treatment.
Animal studies support the benefits of brain health
Studies on animals have shown that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic may reduce brain inflammation, block harmful protein buildup, and improve memory.
Dr. Paul Edison of Imperial College London, who was not involved in this study, added that GLP-1 drugs also lower heart and metabolic risks, which are factors linked to Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Edison explained that Alzheimer’s is a complex disease requiring treatments that target multiple issues, such as protein buildup, brain inflammation, and insulin resistance. He said effective treatments would likely need to address all these factors together.
Ongoing clinical trials for GLP-1 drugs and Alzheimer’s
Several clinical trials are now testing the impact of GLP-1 drugs on Alzheimer’s. An earlier study called the ELAD trial, showed that another GLP-1 drug, liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza), helped Alzheimer’s patients.
Currently, two major trials – EVOKE and EVOKE Plus – are testing semaglutide (Ozempic) in people with early Alzheimer’s.
Another study is investigating whether semaglutide affects harmful protein buildup in patients with early signs of Alzheimer’s but minimal memory loss. Other research is also studying how semaglutide affects the immune system in Alzheimer’s patients.
Study details and findings
Dr. Xu’s team looked at health records from over a million people with type 2 diabetes who had no history of Alzheimer’s. They compared the Alzheimer’s risk for patients on semaglutide with those on other diabetes drugs, including insulin and metformin.
Participants were new to diabetes medications and had conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
The study’s main goal was to monitor for a first-time Alzheimer’s diagnosis. A secondary focus was on Alzheimer’s-related prescriptions. Patients were followed for up to three years. Within 30 days of starting Ozempic, patients showed a lower risk of Alzheimer’s, a trend that continued over time, suggesting semaglutide may slow or delay Alzheimer’s.
While these findings are promising, researchers stressed that this study was observational. It does not confirm a direct cause-and-effect relationship between Ozempic and Alzheimer’s risk reduction. Also, because Ozempic is relatively new, the study’s follow-up was limited to three years.