Analysis exhibits that GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic might help you drop weight, handle diabetes, and even doubtlessly decrease the danger of opioid overdoses. However now, a brand new examine finds that taking these medicines might decrease your threat of growing a number of various well being points, together with dementia.
After all, it is not all optimistic. The scientists additionally discovered that these medication can increase your threat of growing sure well being circumstances—and may include some uncomfortable uncomfortable side effects.
However this examine’s findings are elevating plenty of questions concerning the hyperlink between Ozempic and mind well being. Right here’s what you should know, based on neurologists.
Meet the consultants: David Merrill, MD, PhD, is a geriatric psychiatrist at Windfall Saint John’s Well being Heart in Santa Monica, California. Verna Porter, MD, is a neurologist and director of the Dementia, Alzheimer’s Illness and Neurocognitive Issues at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Windfall Saint John’s Well being Heart in Santa Monica, California.
What did the examine discover?
For the examine, which was printed within the journal Nature Drugs on January 20, researchers analyzed knowledge from practically 2 million folks with diabetes who had been handled by the Veterans Well being Administration between October 2017 and the top of December 2023.
Of these, practically 216,000 folks had been prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines like Ozempic and Wegovy. Scientists found that individuals who took these medicines had a lowered threat of growing 42 totally different well being circumstances or outcomes. However in addition they discovered that folks on these medication had a better threat of growing 19 totally different damaging well being outcomes, suggesting that they could be dangerous for some.
Does Ozempic decrease my threat for dementia?
Nicely, this is only one examine, so it’s arduous to say for positive that Ozempic will decrease your threat for dementia. However a 2024 examine printed within the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia additionally linked these medicines to a lowered threat of Alzheimer’s illness in folks with kind 2 diabetes, so there is likely to be one thing there.
Ozempic and related medicines might assist cut back bodily irritation, which is a threat issue for dementia, says Verna Porter, MD, a neurologist and director of the Dementia, Alzheimer’s Illness and Neurocognitive Issues at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Windfall Saint John’s Well being Heart in Santa Monica, California.
David Merrill, MD, PhD, a geriatric psychiatrist at Windfall Saint John’s Well being Heart in Santa Monica, California, calls the newest findings “excellent news.” Not all folks in danger for growing dementia are able to comply with a MIND weight-reduction plan and or get common bodily train (that are each confirmed strategies to decrease your dementia threat), so taking a medicine like Ozempic might assist, he says.
Sooner or later, medicines like Ozempic might change into “crucial instruments” to find the mechanisms within the mind that may keep off reminiscence loss, Merrill provides.
Why might Ozempic be related to mind well being?
That is nonetheless being explored. It might be that GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic cut back bodily irritation, together with the danger of growing weight problems and coronary heart illness. All of these are threat components for growing dementia, Porter factors out.
Once more, there’s lots that must be researched. However Merrill calls GLP-1 receptor agonists “exceptional” at optimizing mind and physique well being, primarily based on what the medical group is aware of up to now.
What are the opposite advantages related to Ozempic? What are the dangers?
Within the January 20 examine, Ozempic was linked to a lowered threat of growing a slew of well being circumstances and issues, together with aspiration pneumonia, liver failure, lung failure, cardiac arrest, some sorts of most cancers, and dementia.
However the researchers additionally discovered that these medicines got here with a threat of uncomfortable uncomfortable side effects and issues, together with:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Kidney stones
- Gastroesophageal reflux illness or GERD
- Sleep disturbances
- Abdomen cramps
- Gastroparesis (i.e. abdomen paralysis)
How else can I decrease my threat for dementia?
Medical doctors advocate doing the next to decrease your threat of growing dementia:
- In the reduction of on how a lot alcohol you drink
- Keep away from smoking
- Attempt to preserve your diabetes nicely managed
- Attempt to preserve a wholesome weight
- Do what you may to handle your blood stress
- Restrict your publicity to air air pollution as a lot as potential
- Shield your self from head harm
- Keep bodily energetic
- Do what you may to handle your psychological well being
- Be socially energetic
- Deal with listening to loss
- Continue to learn
- Handle your ldl cholesterol
- Maintain your eye well being
Korin Miller is a contract author specializing normally wellness, sexual well being and relationships, and way of life traits, with work showing in Males’s Well being, Ladies’s Well being, Self, Glamour, and extra. She has a grasp’s diploma from American College, lives by the seaside, and hopes to personal a teacup pig and taco truck sooner or later.
