Blockbuster weight loss jabs ‘significantly lower' the risk of dementia
Researchers found that semaglutide - the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy - could "significantly" slash the risk of the brain-robbing disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
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Weight loss and antidiabetic jabs like Ozempic and Wegovy could have other health benefits
Credit: Getty
Study leader Professor Rong Xu said: "There is no cure or effective treatment for dementia, so this new study provides real-world evidence for its potential impact on preventing or slowing dementia development among a high risk population."
Semaglutide, part of a group of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, was originally invented to treat type 2 diabetes.
But trials found it could also cause major weight loss - about 10 to 15 per cent of body weight over 18 months.
It triggers fullness hormones in the gut to prevent hunger and over-eating.
Semaglutide has already been found to lower the risk of heart disease, bowel cancer and fertility issues.
But researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, now have evidence it could play a key role in preventing dementia.
The syndrome occurs when brain cells are damaged and their connections stop working properly.
That damage, which worsens over time, impacts memory, thinking and reasoning.
It can be caused by various conditions and events, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, traumatic brain injury and stroke.
Previous research has indicated that 45 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing these "modifiable risk factors".
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The new study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, analysed the electronic records of nearly 1.7million American patients with type 2 diabetes over three years.
Patients taking semaglutide had a "significantly lower" risk of developing Alzheimer's disease-related dementia compared to those on seven other antidiabetic medications.
This included other types of GLP-1R-targeting drugs.
The results were more "profound" in women and older adults.
Prof Xu said the findings support the idea that semaglutide could prevent dementia.
But she cautioned that more research is needed.
"Our results indicate that research into semaglutide's use for dementia prevention will need to be further investigated through randomised clinical trials," Prof Xu added.
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