Recent research suggests that the GLP-1 drug liraglutide may have the potential to reduce the risk of dementia by as much as 18 percent. This finding comes from early trials and offers hope for new treatments in the fight against cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
The use of GLP-1 agonists, such as liraglutide, has been primarily associated with the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Recently, similar drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) have gained popularity for providing weight loss success for countless patients. However, researchers have also been exploring additional benefits of GLP-1 drugs outside of their intended use.
In one study, liraglutide was investigated for its potential to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from Imperial College London presented their findings at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2024, revealing that the older GLP-1 may help reduce cognitive decline and protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Clinical trial results showed that the 204 participants with mild Alzheimer’s disease from 24 clinics across the U.K. experienced an 18 percent slower decline in cognitive function compared to the placebo group. The participants underwent thorough evaluations, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess brain structure and volumes, positron emission tomography (PET) scans and cognitive function tests such as memory and spatial orientation assessments.
Lead study author Dr. Paul Edison, professor of neuroscience at Imperial College London, told Medical News Today, “We were very encouraged by the fact that there was a significant slower reduction in cognitive function. This suggests that GLP-1 analogues have great potential to reduce the neurodegenerative process and improve cognitive function.”
Dr. Edison explained that GLP-1 analogues possess unique properties that address various issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease: they reduce neuroinflammation, tau formation and insulin resistance, as well as amyloid formation. The study also showed that GLP-1 drugs improve the connections between brain cells.
Another significant finding from the study was that participants who took liraglutide had almost 50 percent less brain volume loss in key areas such as the frontal cortex, temporal lobe, parietal lobe and total gray matter. These regions are crucial for cognitive functions like memory, attention, language understanding, visual attention and spatial perception.
“This demonstrates that GLP-1 analogues provide benefit by changing the underlying processes which cause memory problems,” Dr. Edison said. However, he cautioned that larger phase 3 studies are necessary to confirm these findings and to better understand how these drugs exert their effects on the brain.
