Weight loss jab Mounjaro linked to lower dementia risk
People with type 2 diabetes and obesity who are taking the drugs are also less likely to die prematurely, researchers found.
The study saw experts from Taiwan examine date on 60,000 people from around the world, with an average age of 58, who had type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Key differences between three weight-loss injections: Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic. https://t.co/WhHodrztS1 pic.twitter.com/Rll5Eg3ycU — Paul Wischmeyer MD (@Paul_Wischmeyer) July 4, 2025
Around half were given GLP agonist drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide – which are sold under the brand names Wegovy and Mounjaro. Semaglutide is also the main ingredient for the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic.
GLP agonists can reduce a person's appetite; slow down their digestion; reduce the amount of sugar the liver makes and they help the body to make more insulin when needed.
The other half used other anti-diabetic medication.
📢Important update
Eligible people in #Dorset will be able to access Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) weight management medication from autumn 2025.
✅Around 1,000 people in Dorset will qualify under strict national criteria
✅No need to contact your doctor
More: https://t.co/ml4QJgZ224 pic.twitter.com/uURpuIuYzx — NHS Dorset (@NHSDorset) June 23, 2025
During a seven-year follow-up period, researchers found that people given the GLP agonist drugs appeared to have a 37% lower risk of dementia and a 19% reduced risk of stroke.
They were also 30% less likely to die during the follow-up period.
And when researchers looked at the data further they found even greater benefits in people aged 60 or older, women, and those with a body mass index score of 30 to 40.
They found no differences in Parkinson's disease or brain bleeds.
The academics said their findings suggest 'potential neuroprotective and cerebrovascular benefits' of the drugs but they called for more studies to confirm the findings.
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'These findings suggest that semaglutide and tirzepatide may offer neuroprotective and cerebrovascular benefits beyond glycemic control, potentially improving long-term cognitive and survival outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity,' they wrote in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Commenting on the study, Professor Tara Spires-Jones, director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and group leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, said: 'This is a very interesting study adding to evidence that GLP1 receptor agonists are associated with a lower risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
'This type of study cannot determine whether the drugs reduced disease risk by directly protecting the brain.
'It is highly likely that effectively treating type 2 diabetes and obesity would reduce dementia and stroke risk as they are known risk factors for these conditions.
'Further work is needed including randomised clinical trials to confirm these drugs are protective in people with diabetes and obesity and other trials are needed to determine whether these drugs will be protective in people who do not have type 2 diabetes and obesity.'
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Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer's Society, said: 'It is well established that diabetes and obesity can increase your risk of developing dementia.
'This study supports existing evidence that shows these drugs may reduce dementia risk, particularly for people aged 60 and over who are living with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
'Although interesting, we can't draw conclusions from this study alone as it is an observational study, only a small number of people who took part went on to develop dementia and as the impact of these drugs on different types of dementia is not clear.
'There are clinical trials currently looking at whether drugs like these can be used to treat early-stage Alzheimer's disease, so this is a really exciting area being explored in the research fight against dementia.'
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IN the run up to a holiday, most of us look forward to the all-inclusive buffets and perhaps expect to gain a few pounds. I used to love the kind of break where I'd fly somewhere sunny and sit by the pool or on the beach, sipping cocktails and enjoying the hotel's barbecue nights. 8 8 8 At 5ft 1in and 12st 9lb, I sometimes felt self-conscious in my bikini, but none of the diets I'd tried, from Slimming World to a high-protein Atkins diet, had worked. When I inevitably quit, I'd find myself gaining even more weight than before. Trendy weight-loss jabs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are all the rage now, but I didn't know anything about them. I'm sure would have given the fat jab a go eventually, as I was frustrated with my inability to lose weight. I was desperate. But I knew when I stopped taking them, I would have gone back to my old habits. I was rushed off my feet and felt constantly exhausted and miserable. 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The camp was held at Scuttington Manor in Sittingbourne, Kent. When I arrived, I was petrified. I'd never really exercised before – I didn't even own workout clothes. But the welcome meeting, where I met GI Jane's trainers and the lovely group of women I'd be working with, put me at ease. We were all there for our own reasons: some, like me, wanted to lose weight, some needed head space, while others wanted a bit of a confidence boost. 8 8 One lady said it wasn't her first retreat, and that she keeps returning because 'it's good for the soul,' which I found really inspiring. From the very first day, we were tested to our limits. We'd get up at 7am – which was called 'falling in,' military style – and go on a hike of four or five miles before breakfast, which was usually home-made muesli and fresh fruit. Then, we'd have four exercise sessions across the rest of the day between healthy meals – anything from obstacle courses, boxing and intervals, to HIIT sessions, kettlebells and games. The morning after my first day, my legs were like jelly. But the trainers knew how to build us back up slowly each morning. The motto of GI Jane is 'You're only as fast as your slowest man,' and we were encouraged to support each other every step of the way. We bonded over every session, laughing and joking our way through the pain. I'd never run in my life before, so I struggled at first. I was thrilled when I realised I was gradually running further each day without stopping. On my last day I managed a full mile while carrying weights, which felt like such an achievement. At the end-of-week weigh-in, I discovered I'd lost 9 lbs in seven days, which I was thrilled about. On jabs like Mounjaro, the average weight loss is around 2lbs a week and you are not getting the added benefit of being fitter and healthier. 8 8 8 More importantly, I'd got a new lease of life and learned what it took to take care of my body. Back home, I took everything I learned at the camp on board. I couldn't afford a gym membership, so I bought my own kettlebell, and would run around my local village, Beverley in East Yorkshire, to exercise. As well as using all the tools I'd learned, I received fantastic support from the camp WhatsApp group too. Some of the trainers were in the chat, and were happy to offer advice and share recipes. How the weight stayed off and I ended up signing up to another camp - this time in Thailand. Nine months later, I was given the chance to attend another GI Jane Bootcamp, this time in Thailand. By then, I'd already shrunk down to 8st 11lbs at home, with my own drive and willpower. I signed up to go and by the end of a week in beautiful Koh Samui, I'd reached my target weight of 8st 7lbs. As well as the camp, you get to travel the world with like-minded people too. I'd shed over four stone overall, and was now a trim size 8. It was an incredible moment. Since that first year, I've attended lots more GI Jane Bootcamps, including a week in Greece last year. I've made friends from all over the world, and there's always a friendly face there. My confidence has sky-rocketed, too. Aside from the boot camps, it's fair to say all my holidays look quite different now. I still treat myself, but I'm also very active, which would have sounded like torture before! It's amazing to think how a one-week holiday changed my life so dramatically. I'm sure that if I'd tried so-called 'fat jabs' the weight would have piled back on when I stopped taking them, the same as with every other diet I've tried. But although some might see what I've done as losing weight the 'hard way,' I see it as life-changing. I'd urge anyone thinking about using expensive weight-loss medication to consider trying a boot camp first. You might be surprised.
