Ozempic expands list of health benefits with Alzheimer’s risk cut
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The blockbuster drug semaglutide, best known under brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, may offer a new health benefit: reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Two major studies suggest that the medication, originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes and now widely used for weight loss, could also protect against cognitive decline.
In the largest of the studies, researchers at the University of Florida analyzed the health records of nearly 400,000 adults over the age of 50 with type 2 diabetes. None had dementia at the start of the study. Over a follow-up period of up to ten years, those taking GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) — the drug class that includes semaglutide — had a statistically significant lower risk of developing dementia than those using other diabetes medications.
A separate study conducted by researchers in Ireland analyzed 26 clinical trials involving over 165,000 patients, comparing the effects of several diabetes drugs on cognitive outcomes. The findings, published Tuesday, confirmed that GLP-1RAs were associated with a meaningful reduction in dementia risk, while most other medications, including metformin and pioglitazone, were not.
Although the exact mechanism remains unclear, researchers believe semaglutide’s neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects may play a role.
“This finding is particularly intriguing given the existing research on semaglutide’s neuroprotective properties,” the Florida study’s authors wrote in JAMA Neurology.
More Than Weight Loss
These findings add to a growing list of potential health benefits linked to semaglutide. In addition to aiding blood sugar control and delivering double-digit weight loss, studies have shown semaglutide may alsom lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with type 2 diabetes; improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels; reduce fatty liver disease and inflammation; and contribute to better overall metabolic health.
Despite the promising data, experts caution that more research is needed.
Professor Tara Spires-Jones, president of the British Neuroscience Association, called the results “encouraging” but noted that the studies had limitations, including relatively short follow-up periods and uncertainty around cause and effect.
“These drugs do have side effects and are not guaranteed to prevent dementia,” she said.
Dr. Leah Mursaleen, head of clinical research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the results support growing evidence that medications like semaglutide could impact brain health. However, she emphasized the need to rule out other contributing factors, such as general health, education level, or income.
Currently, nearly 1 million people in the UK live with dementia — a number expected to reach 1.4 million by 2040. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form, accounting for roughly 60% of all cases.
Previous studies estimate that up to 40% of dementia cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, alcohol reduction, and diabetes management.
Alzheimer’s Research UK has said that better management of diabetes alone could prevent two cases of dementia for every 100 people currently at risk.
