A diabetes medication, reportedly used by some for weight loss, could halve the risk of dementia, according to a study from the University of Oxford.
The Telegraph reports that scientists have found Ozempic can lower the risk of neurological conditions, including dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
When compared to three other diabetes drugs, Ozempic was found to reduce dementia rates by up to 48 per cent, providing the “first robust evidence” that the drug could promote brain health and combat addictions.
Dr Riccardo De Giorgi, an expert in adult psychiatry at the University of Oxford, suggested that the drug could be utilised in treating “cognitive decline and substance misuse”, extending its use beyond just managing diabetes.
He added that Ozempic could offer “unexpected benefits” and could be “significant” for public health, including “reducing cognitive deficit” and smoking rates among diabetes patients.
The study, published in Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine journal, analysed 130,000 diabetes patients in the US over a year, including approximately 20,000 taking semaglutide (the active ingredient in both Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy).
It compared these injections with similar drugs and their effects on 22 neurological and psychiatric health conditions, finding that the risk of dementia was reduced by 48 per cent, reports Gloucestershire Live.
The study also revealed that general cognitive decline, including memory loss and confusion, was less common in individuals taking Ozempic, with a 28 per cent reduction in these symptoms compared to those on sitagliptin and glipizide.
Ozempic has been touted for its potential health benefits, including “potentially reducing cancer”, according to some unpublished studies, as noted by Dr Tyna Moore, a naturopathic and chiropractic physician.
Dr Moore expressed: “What I was finding in the literature was not at all adding up to what I was hearing, and then there were all of these other benefits that were just mind-blowing.”
She further added: “You know, benefits on healing and reversing type 1 diabetes, healing and reversing neurocognitive conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, efficacy with alcohol cessation.”
While Ozempic is not currently licensed in the UK as a weight-loss medication, it has reportedly gained popularity among celebrities such as Rebel Wilson and Sharon Osbourne for this purpose.
Despite the numerous alleged benefits, Ozempic has faced some criticism due to reported side effects, including nausea, potential links to pancreatitis, gallstones and a possible risk of thyroid cancer, as reported by Sky News in 2022.
Semaglutide is currently available on the NHS for diabetes and obesity patients, but a surge in demand for the drug has led to a depletion in supplies.