GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Tied to Decrease in T2DM-Related Dementia Risk
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 -- Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are associated with reduced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-related dementia risk compared with metformin, according to a study published online July 22 in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.
Mingyang Sun, from the People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from a global health research network between 2004 and 2024 to examine the comparative effectiveness of GLP-1 RAs and metformin in reducing dementia risk. Patients with T2DM initiating GLP-1 RAs or metformin as first-line monotherapy were included (87,229 matched patients per cohort).
The researchers found that compared with metformin, GLP-1 RA use was associated with a significantly lower risk for overall dementia, Alzheimer disease, and nonvascular dementias (adjusted hazard ratios, 0.90, 0.88, and 0.75, respectively). For vascular dementia, no significant difference was observed. Consistent benefit was seen across age and sex in subgroup analyses, with the strongest effect seen among older adults and women.
"Despite limitations such as residual confounding, the findings remain robust and suggest GLP-1 RAs could redefine T2DM-related dementia prevention strategies, warranting further randomized controlled trials to confirm these results," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Read this next
GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use Linked to Lower Mortality in Seniors With Cancer, T2D
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- For older patients with cancer and type 2 diabetes (T2D), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) use is associated with lower all-cause...
Endocrine Society, July 12-15
The annual meeting of the Endocrine Society (ENDO 2025) was held from July 12 to 15 in San Francisco, attracting more than 7,000 participants, including clinicians, academicians...
Similar Reduction Seen in Mortality for Exercise Patterns in Diabetes
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 -- For patients with self-reported diabetes, weekend warrior and regular activity patterns meeting current physical activity recommendations are associated...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.