The analysis of data from more than 2 million people who received treatments for diabetes based on the hormone (GLP-1), also very effective for obesity, has shown beneficial impacts against dementia or addictions, but potentially harmful for the kidney or pancreas.
The conclusions of the study appear collected this Monday in the journal Nature Medicine and have been prepared from statistical data of patients, specifically American war veterans, between October 1, 2017 and December 31, 2023. both from an observational study.
Drugs based on the peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor have been shown to be extremely effective in combating both diabetes and obesity, as they curb appetite and slow down digestion, creating a longer-lasting feeling of satiety. Some of the most popular brands that sell them are Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound.
For the study, researchers analyzed de-identified medical records from a database of more than two million U.S. veterans taking GLP-1-based medications for diabetes, looking at 175 health parameters over more than five years. The patients included people of various ages, races and sexes, the authors say.
Beneficial drugs for the brain
The results show that drugs based on the GLP-1 hormone may have significant benefits for neurological and behavioral health, with reduced risks of seizures and addiction to substances such as alcohol, cannabis, stimulants and opioids.
People taking these drugs also experienced a lower risk of suicidal ideation, self-harm, bulimia, and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
The findings also show a lower risk of neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia in patients taking this medication.
“Drugs based on GLP-1 act on receptors that are expressed in brain areas involved in impulse control, reward and addiction, which would explain their effectiveness in curbing appetite and addictive disorders,” says one of them. The authors, Ziyad Al-Aly, director of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
“This medication does two positive things to improve brain health: reducing inflammation in the brain and weight loss. “This would explain, in part, the lower risk of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia,” adds the researcher.
The reduction in the risk of neurocognitive disorders in those who take this medication is between 10 and 20 percent, depending on the disease, compared to those who do not take these drugs.
“The modest effect does not negate the potential value of these treatments, especially for conditions where there are few effective treatment options, such as dementia. Combined with other interventions it can have an even more beneficial effect,” adds Al-Aly.
The study confirms the results of previous research that pointed to the potential of GLP-1-based drugs to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.
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Adverse effects
On the contrary, statistical analysis has indicated that among the possible drawbacks of these medications are, frequently, gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
“But what is new are the possible ways in which GLP-1RA drugs can negatively affect the pancreas and kidneys. Although these adverse effects are rare, they can be very serious; Doctors should be attentive to signs of pancreatitis and monitor kidney function,” Al-Aly emphasizes.
Stephen O’Rahilly, an expert in metabolic research at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), emphasizes, however, that “studies like this must be interpreted with great caution, since the people studied have not been randomly assigned to treatment with agonists.” of the GLP-1 receptor, so any differences between those who take and do not take this class of medications could be attributable to factors other than the drug.
In fact, the drug Ozempic demonstrated positive effects on chronic kidney disease combined with obesity, according to a preliminary trial with 101 people whose results were reported in another study in Nature Medicine last October.
With information from EFE.
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