New research, led by researchers at the University of Oxford, has shown that herbal medicines semaglutide — like the Ozempic and the Wegovy both from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk — are linked to a lower risk of dementia and less nicotine dependence. The study was published on July 10 in the scientific journal eClinicalMedicine.
Researchers wanted to understand whether type 2 diabetes medications such as semaglutide could negatively impact neurological and psychiatric health. However, they found that the drug did not actually pose any additional risks compared to other antidiabetic medications, and was also shown to be beneficial in protecting against neurological and psychiatric conditions.
To conduct the study, scientists used data from more than 100 million medical records of patients in the United States, including more than 20,000 who were taking semaglutide. The team found that the drug was not associated with an increased risk of dementia, depression or anxiety, compared with other common antidiabetic medications.
Additionally, the study found that people who used semaglutide medications had a lower risk of developing cognitive problems and nicotine dependence compared to those who did not.
“Our results suggest that semaglutide may go beyond diabetes management to potentially offer unexpected benefits in the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline and substance abuse,” said Riccardo De Giorgi, clinical professor at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study, in a statement.
The researcher adds that the study’s findings, if confirmed, “may have significant public health implications in terms of reducing cognitive impairment and smoking rates among patients with diabetes.”
However, the team emphasizes that it is still unclear how semaglutide may be causing these positive effects against dementia and nicotine addiction. Therefore, further studies are needed to fully understand this mechanism.
“Our study is observational and these results should therefore be replicated in a randomized clinical trial to confirm and extend our findings,” said Max Taquet, clinical professor at the University of Oxford and senior author of the study. “However, they are good news for patients with psychiatric disorders, who are at increased risk of diabetes.”
What is Ozempic and what is it for?
Ozempic is the commercial name of the drug composed of semaglutide 1 mg, developed by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Its use is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but has been popularly used off label (outside the instructions on the package insert) for weight loss.
Semaglutide is a drug in the GLP-1 hormone analogue class, which acts on the secretion of insulin by the pancreas, which plays an important role in regulating blood glucose. However, semaglutide also helps to promote a greater feeling of satiety, which can help with weight loss.
In fact, there is another semaglutide-based medication, but in a higher dose (2.4 mg), indicated for the treatment of obesity, Wegovy. The medication was approved by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in 2023 and is expected to be marketed in Brazil in August of this year.
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Source: CNN Brasil
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