Ozempic from Novo Nordisk linked to cognitive benefits in diabetes patients

New research from the University of Oxford suggests that Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, may provide cognitive benefits to individuals with diabetes. Branded as Ozempic and Wegovy, semaglutide has also been linked to reduced nicotine dependence.

Published in The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine journal, the study utilized data from over 100 million U.S. patients, including more than 20,000 who were on semaglutide. The analysis revealed that semaglutide did not increase the risk of neurological or psychiatric issues such as dementia, depression, or anxiety, a finding that addresses recent safety concerns about the treatment.

Dr. Riccardo De Giorgi, clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study, emphasized the significance of the findings. He noted that the results not only provide reassurance to the millions of patients using semaglutide for diabetes management but could also have broader public health implications by potentially reducing cognitive deficits among diabetic patients.

While the study's extensive data and robust methodology provide strong evidence, the researchers caution that further investigation is required. Dr. Max Taquet, clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford and senior author of the study, stressed the need for these observational results to be replicated in randomized controlled trials to confirm and expand upon the findings.

This study follows closely on the heels of another significant discovery by researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. They found that type 2 diabetes patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide, were less likely to develop ten of the thirteen obesity-related cancers. The treatment showed substantial risk reductions for several cancers: 65% for gallbladder cancer, 63% for meningioma, 59% for pancreatic cancer, 53% for hepatocellular carcinoma, and 48% for ovarian cancer.

In addition to its cancer-related benefits, semaglutide has demonstrated the ability to significantly lower the risk of major kidney outcomes, cardiovascular events, and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

The collective findings from these studies highlight semaglutide's multifaceted benefits, offering promising prospects not only for diabetes management but also for broader health outcomes. Further research is anticipated to delve deeper into understanding the mechanisms by which semaglutide exerts these effects and to validate the observational findings through more rigorous, controlled studies.