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Newsweek
25-06-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Ozempic Linked to Significant Reduction in Dementia—Study
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in diabetes medications Ozempic and Wegovy, was associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease-related dementia among patients with type 2 diabetes, a recent study reported. A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease analyzed the medical records of over 1.7 million U.S. adults and found that semaglutide users experienced a notably lower risk of dementia compared to patients treated with insulin, metformin, or older GLP-1 agonists. These findings, publicly released on Tuesday, come as researchers and clinicians continue to search for effective means to mitigate the growing dementia epidemic in the U.S. Ozempic is medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes that along with diet and exercise may improve blood sugar. Ozempic is medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes that along with diet and exercise may improve blood sugar. Photo by Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Why It Matters With over 6 million Americans diagnosed with dementia and more than 100,000 related deaths each year, the potential for semaglutide to meaningfully lower risk could have sweeping public health implications. Dementia does not have a cure, and nearly half of all cases are thought to be preventable by addressing risk factors like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, the New York Post reported. Evidence supporting semaglutide's neuroprotective effects may inform future prevention strategies among high-risk populations in the U.S. What To Know Landmark Study Shows Sharp Risk Reduction Researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, National Institutes of Health and the MetroHealth System in Cleveland examined the health records of 1,710,995 U.S. patients with type 2 diabetes who had no prior diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease-related dementia (ADRD). The study used a statistical method simulating a randomized clinical trial, comparing dementia diagnoses among those prescribed semaglutide, insulin, metformin, and older GLP-1 receptor agonists. Patients treated with semaglutide had a 46 percent lower risk of developing ADRD than those receiving insulin, a 33 percent lower risk than those on metformin, and a 20 percent lower risk than those on earlier GLP-1 agonists. The effect was particularly pronounced for vascular dementia, one of the most common subtypes. No protective association was found for frontotemporal dementia or Lewy body dementia. Wide Demographic Impact Observed The protective association was consistent among subgroups, including younger and older patients, men and women, and those with and without obesity. Researchers found the risk reduction was especially evident among older adults and women. What is Semaglutide? Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that helps regulate blood sugar, lowers body weight, and offers cardiovascular benefits for patients with diabetes. The drug can help improve insulin sensitivity, protect blood vessels, and reduce inflammation in the brain. Important Study Limitations Authors acknowledged limitations, including reliance on administrative diagnosis codes, which are subject to underdiagnosis and misclassification, data on medication adherence, cognitive test scores, and genetic risk factors were unavailable. Variations in clinical practice and health care use variations could also affect findings. Researchers emphasized the need for preclinical and clinical studies to establish causal effects. Additional International Data A separate study by Oxford University, published in Lancet's eClinicalMedicine journal, analyzed more than 100 million U.S. medical records and found that Ozempic users experienced lower rates of cognitive decline and nicotine use compared to those on other diabetes medications. This study also did not find a higher risk of anxiety, depression, or other neurological and psychiatric conditions with Ozempic. The researchers emphasized that the results were limited to diabetic patients and require more rigorous randomized controlled trials. What People Are Saying The researchers of the study, in a news article published by the American Journal of Managed Care: "In a real-world population with T2D [type 2 diabetes] who had no prior diagnosis of AD/ADRD [Alzheimer disease/Alzheimer disease-related dementia], our study shows that semaglutide was associated with a significantly lower risk of overall ADRD incidence compared with other antidiabetic medications, including insulin, metformin, and other GLP-1RAs. Significant reductions were observed in older and younger patients, women and men, and patients with and without obesity." Howard Fillit, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, in comments to Reuters: "The answer to all those limitations is to do a randomized clinical trial, which is exactly what Novo is doing." What Happens Next Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, began testing semaglutide in patients with early Alzheimer's disease in 2021. The results are expected sometime this year. 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Miami Herald
25-06-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Study claims Ozempic may also help reduce dementia risk
By Stephen Beech Weight loss drug Ozempic may also reduce the risk of dementia, suggests a new study. American researchers found that semaglutide - the active ingredient in Ozempic and another weight loss medication, Wegovy - may lower the risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes. Scientists say that dementia occurs when brain cells are damaged and their connections stop working properly. That damage, which worsens over time, can be caused by various modifiable factors, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, traumatic brain injury and stroke. Previous research has indicated that 45% of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors. The new study suggests type 2 diabetes patients taking semaglutide had a "significantly lower" risk of developing dementia compared to other antidiabetic medications. The results were more "profound" in women and older adults, according to the findings published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) molecule that decreases hunger and helps regulate blood sugar in diabetes, has previously shown several health benefits, including reductions in cardiovascular diseases. Researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, analyzed three years of electronic records of nearly 1.7 million American type 2 diabetes patients. The team used a statistical approach that mimics a randomised clinical trial. They found patients prescribed semaglutide had a "significantly" lower risk for Alzheimer's disease-related dementia, compared to those who had taken any of seven other anti-diabetic medications, including other types of GLP-1R-targeting medications. 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 at-risk populations." Although the findings potentially support the idea that semaglutide could prevent dementia, Prof Xu says the study's limitations restrict the team from making firm causal conclusions. She added: "Our results indicate that research into semaglutide's use for dementia prevention will need to be further investigated through randomised clinical trials." The post Study claims Ozempic may also help reduce dementia risk appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Scottish Sun
24-06-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Blockbuster weight loss jabs ‘significantly lower' the risk of dementia
WEIGHT loss jabs may also help ward off dementia, a new study suggests. 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. 1 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". Feeling Full Naturally: Top 5 Foods That Act Like Weight Loss Jabs 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.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Finger movements may hold the secret to Alzheimer's diagnosis, new study reveals
A groundbreaking study has found a possible link between finger movement patterns and brain changes in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, which can give rise to a new non-invasive diagnostic method. The research, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, examines how subtle variations in finger movement, timing, rhythm, and coordination can be indicative of changes in the brain structure characteristic of dementia. This is an important issue given that Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, accounts for 60–80% of the total number of cases globally. Why are finger movements significant? The study was carried out by Junpei Sugioka and some neurologists and neuroscientists from Japan. They used a voxel-based analysis technique called VSRAD (Voxel-based Specific Regional Analysis System for Alzheimer's Disease) to compare brain atrophy patterns among patients with Alzheimer's disease. The software helps in detecting changes in a few regions of the brain, largely the medial temporal region, which is critical for cognition and memory. By correlating measures of finger movement with brain scans, the scientists discovered dramatic correlations between motor control dysfunction and brain volume loss in patients. That is, worsening fine motor skills—too commonly overlooked—may offer early biomarkers of neurodegeneration. Implications for early detection "Our results suggest that testing of motor function, and particularly finger movement analysis, could become a viable screening test for cognitive impairment," the authors wrote. This is especially significant in rural or low-resource settings, where access to expensive MRI scans and neurological tests might be limited. Finger-tapping tests, possibly integrated into mobile health software, could be scalable alternatives. Further, screening with such could be done as a regular checkup for older persons. The wider context Aging remains the biggest risk for dementia. As the world's population ages, early diagnostic technologies that are low-cost become increasingly important. Technologies like VSRAD and motor assessment with non-invasive devices may lead the way to community-level screening, allowing earlier treatment and improved outcomes for the patient. They recommend additional longitudinal and cross-validated research in various populations. If true, these results have the potential to transform clinicians' screening for Alzheimer's, redirecting attention away from memory tests alone and toward subtle physical signs that can be observed years before cognitive symptoms develop fully. Is this a more general problem? This study's findings reveal not just a new diagnostic pathway but also signal the possibility of a greater and underestimated issue: systemic neglect of motor function as an early indication of neurological decline. In practice, cognitive symptoms like confusion or memory impairment are traditionally always given first attention, with physical signs like decelerated finger movement or small coordination issues being generally demoted to insignificance or irrelevance. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This common over-the-counter drug could be linked to dementia
A commonly-used over-the-counter medication that can provide allergy and cold relief or serve as sleep aids may increase a person's risk of dementia. Antihistamines work to block the chemical histamine, which causes uncomfortable allergy symptoms. However, what kind of antihistamine you're taking can make a big difference to your long-term health. There are two main types of antihistamines on the market: first-generation and second-generation. Physicians say that these 'first-generation' antihistamines are less safe because they more easily cross your blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system, causing drowsiness. The second-generation antihistamines, meanwhile, do not. "People sometimes assume these medications must be harmless because they are sold over the counter, but if you use them too often or for too long, they can mess with your thinking, make you groggy during the day, and possibly lead to long-term problems," Dr. Pamela Tambini, an internal medicine physician and medical director at Engage Wellness, recently told Women's Health. The first-generation antihistamines specifically target a key brain chemical involved in memory that is called acetylcholine. Because of their design, they have a long-term impact on our brain's health. That negative impact has been documented for a few years — but may not be something on your mind when you need relief. Frequent use of these first-generation sleep medications has been tied to an increased risk of the chronic disease in older adults, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease in 2023. A 2024 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology also said there was some risk associated with second-generation antihistamines, but it was lower. A study published this year in the World Allergy Organization Journal suggests that people should avoid taking Benadryl. Although studies have found an association between the drugs — including Benadryl — and dementia, researchers say it doesn't prove that they do cause the condition, according to Harvard Medical School. However what is known is that the drugs that block acetylcholine, which can cause confusion and increase fall risks in older people. Furthermore, the body's production of acetylcholine dwindles with age. So, blocking that can be an even larger blow to older adults, who are at greater risk for dementia. Notably, many drugs have a stronger effect on older people, who also tend to take more medications. "If you are constantly dampening that system with these medications, your brain does not function as well," said Tambini. "Over time, that can lead to memory issues or even contribute to cognitive decline, particularly if you're already at risk." Instead, doctors recommend people turn to other, newer options, such as Claritin. Although, it is alright to occasionally use an over-the-counter sleep aid. "There are safer, more effective options out there — and talking to your doctor is a great first step in figuring out what's really going on and how to get your sleep back on track,' Tambini said.
