Over time, the continued loss of brain cells means that not enough of the messenger chemical is available. Cholinesterase inhibitors prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, making more of the chemical messenger available to healthy nerve cells. Studies have shown that these medicines may help manage symptoms, but the effect is modest. Instead, they're designed to help healthy nerve cells work as well as possible even though cells will continue to be lost. Symptoms of overdose Observational studies suggest lower dementia risk in people using GLP‑1 drugs, but this does not prove prevention.Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (also known as GLP-1s), including medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound, have gained popularity over the years.Before starting semaglutide, tell your prescriber if you have a history of acute pancreatitis.Some providers use red light therapy as a weight loss treatment.For example, you shouldn't take prescription weight-loss drugs if you're trying to get pregnant, are pregnant or are breastfeeding.High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major health problem that is common in older adults. But it turns out that semaglutide also plugs into physiological processes that are far removed from metabolism. They could potentially be used for treating neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain. Only through rigorous scientific inquiry can we unravel the intricacies of this relationship and potentially develop innovative strategies to combat Alzheimer's disease. The popularity of Ozempic and other diabetes drugs skyrocketed, causing a shortage of supply for diabetes patients — the people who need the drugs to manage their medical condition. The weight-loss benefits of Ozempic and similar drugs have been trending on social media for months as more and more people share the guaranteed results of dramatic weight loss. The news comes amid the sudden interest in diabetes drugs by many people trying to lose weight. After analyzing data, the scientists found that pioglitazone lowered the risk of dementia in diabetes patients compared to those who did not use the drug. So, it will be another year to finish the study. Sorry, following up on those patients. And the study is being conducted, as you mentioned, in 600 sites in over 40 countries. Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, impacts over 7 million Americans, with projections suggesting cases could triple by 2050. Treatment decisions should be made in consultation with qualified healthcare professionals. Neither has shown strong cognitive improvement to date, but GLP‑1s may have broader systemic benefits. Does Ozempic or semaglutide prevent Alzheimer’s? Wegovy The study was led by Dr. Paul Edison, professor of science at Imperial College London and involved patients at 24 clinics throughout the United Kingdom who received a daily subcutaneous injection for a year. According to the association’s summary of the study, liraglutide probably works on the brain in multiple ways. The drug liraglutide — in the same class as Ozempic and Zepbound — was found in a phase 2b clinical trial to nearly halve shrinkage in the parts of the brain that control learning, memory, language and decisionmaking, according to a clinical trial that compared it to a placebo. "So, it's not recommended to say people prescribed this medication can treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease." A clinical trial found that an average user lost about 18kg (almost 40lbs) after taking the drug for 68 weeks. “Compared to our first study (on suicidal thoughts), there’s much stronger evidence,” says Guirguis. Semaglutide seems like it could have a similar effect in some people, especially if someone has a pre-existing eye disorder. In work published in December 2025, they analysed whether there’s a link between semaglutide and over 260 eye disorders by looking at data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System. UCSF researchers recommend clinicians account for risk when prescribing to older adults. The research team—led by biomedical informatics professor Rong Xu—analyzed three years of electronic records of nearly 1.7 million T2D patients nationally. Health authorities have warned about the dangers of fake semaglutide products on the black market. There’s still a lot we don’t know about these medications, and lots of research is underway. Dr Al-Aly stressed that any conversations around the risks vs. benefits of taking GLP-1RAs should be a personal discussion between patient and care provider, taking into account their unique medical history. They found that taking these drugs seemed to significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia or cognitive impairment during the trials’ minimum six-month follow-up periods. Diabetes and weight loss treatments such as Ozempic and Wegovy, known as GLP-1 agonists, could significantly reduce the risk of developing any type of dementia, according to a meta-analysis of 26 clinical trials with more than 160,000 participants. Dozens of trials testing GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide, the medicine in Ozempic and Wegovy, against a placebo suggest that they really could protect against dementia Patients included people of diverse ages, races and sexes. Altogether, the dataset examined more than 2 million veterans who were treated for diabetes from Oct. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2023. For the study, WashU Medicine researchers analyzed de-identified medical records in a database maintained by the U.S. Popular diabetes and weight-loss drug may reduce risk of dementia If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. If you cannot swallow the extended-release capsule, you may open it and pour the medicine into a small amount of soft food such as applesauce. You may take this medicine with or without food. These options provide different ways to help you achieve your weight-loss goals.You can also talk with your health care provider about whether nondrug therapies might work just as well or better for you than a drug.However, simultaneously adjusting for these variables in a multivariable model with weight change could result in over-controlling since these conditions are in the causal pathway from obesity to cognitive impairment.Of course, that does also mean that people who do not have obesity may not see the same level of benefit from taking GLP-1RAs.In some trials, carnitine was compared with placebo, whereas in others, it was compared with antioxidants (such as vitamin C or vitamin E) or a control group that received no treatment.BMI is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight.If you aren't sleeping well or enough, you could be at risk for more visceral fat. It is also possible that GLP-1 drugs can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and might aid in the clearance of beta-amyloid, the toxic protein that is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. This study was larger, pooling data from 26 different clinical trials involving more than 160,000 men and women with Type 2 diabetes who were taking various drugs to lower high blood sugar, or glucose. Earlier studies have suggested that the drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, may lower dementia risk. The new research, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in the United States and which is yet to be peer-reviewed, suggests liraglutide may protect the brains of people with mild Alzheimer’s disease and reduce cognitive decline by as much as 18% after one year of treatment. The study, which reviewed data from nearly 2 million patients treated by the Veterans Health Administration, including over 216,000 users of GLP-1 drugs, revealed remarkable outcomes. Known by brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, these medications are now being linked to a range of unexpected health benefits, including reduced risks of dementia, cardiac arrest, and various serious health conditions. While advances in the field portend disease-modifying therapy, patients and families living with dementia face many obstacles, including the uncertain timing and significant consequences of cognitive decline. “The dietary supplement industry is the Wild West, but people have kicked it up another notch by borrowing the name GLP-1,” White tells TODAY.com. There are currently no GLP-1 medications that can be absorbed through the skin, says C. These options provide different ways to help you achieve your weight-loss goals. GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide (Wegovy) and liraglutide (Saxenda), are available as injectables. In addition to this, a body of observational evidence generally supports a role for overweight and obesity in increasing the risk of cognitive impairment, and highlight age-based difference on such effect. The evidence included in GRADE is partially confirmed by an older (2011) systematic review and meta-analysis, published by Siervo and colleagues,28 aimed at assessing the effect of intentional weight loss reported on cognitive function in overweight and obese people. Based on the hypothesis that weight loss could improve cognition in obese or overweight individuals, Veronese et al.20 carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of intentional weight loss on cognitive status in this population across observational and interventional studies. Thiara points out that both papers were limited by short follow-up durations, low dementia rates, confounding factors that muddy observational studies, and the broad strokes taken in classifying these drugs, which may contain different active ingredients. They found people who used GLP-1RAs had a 45 percent lower risk of all-cause dementia and cognitive impairment, though this was not the case for those using SGLT2is. This is an area requiring further investigation to discern the direct impact of specific weight loss drugs on these metabolic factors. The potential connections between weight loss drugs and Alzheimer's are multifaceted and not fully understood. Other weight-loss drugs, including those targeting different mechanisms like appetite suppression or fat absorption, are also being scrutinized for their potential impact on Alzheimer's risk. In some cases where poor appetite leads to significant weight loss and frailty—a serious concern because it reduces strength and immune function—doctors might prescribe additional treatments aimed specifically at stimulating hunger or improving mood since depression is common among those with dementia. Medicine enters your subcutaneous (under-the-skin) fat and quickly moves into your bloodstream. With injections, you (or a caretaker) gives the drug once a week; the specific time of day doesn't matter. Many patients prefer pills to needles, she said. The only two firms with approved GLP-1 obesity drugs trade at 40- and 100-times earnings, versus mid-teens for their peers. Ramping up production of injectable drugs is hard, and limited supply of Wegovy is being prioritised for existing patients rather than new ones. Currently, only two firms have approved GLP-1 weight loss treatments. Given that semaglutide is able to cross the blood-brain barrier (the protective layer around the brain), it is likely to directly modify brain activity to make people feel less hungry. People with diabetes are at increased risk of poor memory and cognitive decline, including an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease years down the road. The injectable drug decreases appetite and helps regulate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Chemical Warfare: This Is What Chemical Weapons Do To The Body Since BMI-linked genetic variants are randomly passed down from parents to children, this study model provides the sort of randomization required in top clinical trials, researchers said. BMI is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight. People's odds of developing dementia can be as much as doubled if they have a high body mass index (BMI), researchers reported Jan. 22 in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar stops by TODAY to break down the key takeaways from the study.June 25, 2025 Gastrointestinal problems such as nausea were the most common side effects, which totaled 25.5% of all adverse events in the liraglutide group. The team looked for common genetic variants that cause high BMI, and tracked whether people with those genetics had a higher risk of dementia.Also, the volume of the brain– i.e., MRI volume– was better in patients treated with liraglutide compared to the placebo.If you find yourself becoming dependent on prescribed medication, speak to your doctor about slowly weaning you off the drug and trying something else instead.Hamlet Gasoyan, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.We can see from multiple observational studies and now an analysis of placebo-controlled studies that these medications have this anti-dementia effect,” says Al-Aly.We can't rely on drugs alone, and we can't ignore them either. AARP’s Medicare experts share tips and updates to help manage your health care costs. “This research will increase a physician’s propensity for prescribing these medications,” he says. By reducing chronic inflammation, they may slow cell death in the brain, says Reddin. “The gold standard would be one large, randomised trial to answer this question, but this definitely adds another stream of evidence to past studies,” says Ziyad Al-Aly at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, who wasn’t involved in this research. Results showed that high BMI was indeed directly linked to vascular dementia, with risk running from 54% to 98% higher depending on the group being studied and the method of analysis. Twenty-five serious side effects occurred in 18 participants (17.6%) in the placebo arm and seven participants (6.9%) in the treatment arm. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Novo Nordisk calls it part of a pilot program to add obesity to the list of covered medical conditions and expects that most Part D beneficiaries would be covered.Quetiapine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection.It is highly likely that effectively treating type 2 diabetes and obesity would reduce dementia and stroke risk as they are known risk factors for these conditions.In one of the studies, five people with dementia who had regular light therapy on their heads and through their noses for 12 weeks had better memories, slept better, and were angry less often.Other worrying side effects being reported are mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.But what is novel is the potential ways GLP-1RA drugs can negatively affect the pancreas and kidneys.Obesity, too, is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, in part because it is tied to high levels of inflammation throughout the body.Dr. Al-Aly cautioned against blanket recommendations, emphasizing the need for personalized healthcare decisions. The condition is more likely to occur in older people due to the cutback in stomach acid production that often occurs with aging. Conditions that interfere with nutrient absorption, such celiac or Crohn's disease, can cause B12trouble. People who have weight-loss surgery are also more likely to be low in vitamin B12 because the operation interferes with the body's ability to extract vitamin B12 from food. Strict vegetarians and vegans are at high risk for developing a B12 deficiency if they don't eat grains that have been fortified with the vitamin or take a vitamin supplement. The key ingredient in these appetite suppressants is usually semaglutide, or tirzepatide in the case of Mounjaro, but each one acts in a similar way.Your healthcare provider will measure your weight, height and waist circumference at your appointment.It’s possible this was from semaglutide or an underlying condition.In addition, “obesity/high BMI also impacts the body's ability to metabolize food and energy, and this may impact overall brain health,” she said.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) isn’t very common with semaglutide on its own.Following these patients for three years, the researchers found that those taking semaglutide showed dramatically lower rates of new Alzheimer’s diagnoses compared to patients taking other diabetes medications.The weight-loss benefits of Ozempic and similar drugs have been trending on social media for months as more and more people share the guaranteed results of dramatic weight loss.This included nerve cells in the brain that become resistant to the effect of insulin, causing a build-up of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. In Europe, the medicinal herb Galega officinalis was popular for digestive health and to treat urinary problems and other ailments. If that's true, "wonder drug" might be an understatement. To lose weight, especially harmful belly fat, combine diet and exercise Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. From Diabetes to Alzheimer’s: Live Updates on Semaglutide’s Current and Future Uses Weight loss injections could potentially prevent dementia and stroke, a recent study suggests. The team now hopes to establish which brain cells are interacting with GLP-1, as well as other models of inflammation in the heart, liver and kidney, which holds huge promise in treating related chronic diseases of those organs. Being able to mediate the activity of these proteins and receptors with a GLP-1 receptor agonist could provide an effective treatment of neuroinflammation in these degenerative diseases. So can the use of commonly prescribed heartburn drugs, which reduce acid production in the stomach (acid is needed to absorb vitamin B12). But, for clinical researchers hoping to repurpose an old medicine as a new wonder drug, metformin would seem like a great place to start. While the research so far is promising, we need more compelling evidence before endorsing its widespread use for people without diabetes. A lot of these questions will need to be addressed in future studies. They stressed that the findings are observational at this stage – we can’t say for certain from these data that the use of GLP-1RAs alone was directly responsible for any of the health outcomes. As well as nausea and diarrhea, these can extend to more complex or longer-term problems, like gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach), and inflammation of the colon. Gastrointestinal problems are common, particularly when someone first starts taking the drug. In November 2025, the Trump administration announced reaching a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the cost of their GLP-1s for Medicare, Medicaid, and those purchasing the drugs directly from the manufacturers through a new TrumpRx website. Unless Medicaid covers obesity medications, enrollees are unlikely to have access to them given the high out-of-pocket cost even at lower prices. Expanded obesity drug coverage can increase Medicaid spending and put pressure on overall state budgets, and states are now facing tighter budget conditions and longer-term fiscal uncertainty, due in part to the federal Medicaid cuts in the 2025 reconciliation law, causing state Medicaid programs to re-evaluate their obesity drug coverage. Due to their cost, however, coverage of GLP-1s for obesity treatment in Medicaid, ACA Marketplace plans, and most large employer firms remains limited, and GLP-1 coverage in Medicare for treatment of obesity is prohibited under current law. If the patients are already losing weight, I would say it is probably not the best drug. So, the patients who are in our study, what we used was the dose that we used for diabetes. Around 20% of the patients had weight loss of less than 5%. A review of 11 studies looking at the effect of red light therapy on pain found mostly positive results, though the authors said that more studies are needed. The review noted that many of these studies were small and lacked controls and that larger trials need to be done before any benefits can be confirmed. While more research needs to be done, there is some evidence that it may be useful for several health and beauty concerns. The FDA had issued warnings about the safety of some compounded versions of semaglutide and, in February, declared an end to the shortage of the approved medication. “Down the road, we’re going to need a combination of therapies to treat cognitive impairment. But is it going to be useful for a lot of people? Hundreds of medications are needed for the treatment of a chronic disease like obesity, says Dr. Ania Jastreboff, director of the Yale Obesity Research Center. When people stop treatment, "rapid weight regain" can happen, a 2026 review of studies found. What started with Ozempic has become a new era in weight-loss success with blockbuster GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound helping fight obesity. Exercise, diet and antihypertensive drugs can protect brain health. GLP‑1 drugs were originally developed for type 2 diabetes but have systemic effects highly relevant to AD pathophysiology. Since their arrival on the market, statins have been among the most prescribed drugs in the U.S., with up to 92 million users. If you drink large amounts of alcohol, you may be at risk of more serious side effects. You should tell your doctor about all over-the-counter or prescription drugs, herbal supplements, or vitamins that you use. Not everyone who takes a statin will have side effects, but some things can increase your risk of side effects with statins. “This can include a negative impact on the cardiovascular system, making it harder for the heart to pump blood throughout the body, including into the brain,” Snyder said. Though more research is needed to identify the underlying mechanisms, she said there are a number of potential reasons for the link between high BMI and cognitive decline in dementia. About 18% of that relationship is explained by elevated systolic blood pressure caused by obesity, and 25% by higher diastolic blood pressure, researchers added. Insulin resistance with impaired insulin signaling and decreased glucose metabolism is observed in patients with dementia . Studies suggested that activation of AMPK-dependent pathway in the brain exerts neuroprotective effects . Because the Bureau of the NHI allows at most 3 months of drug prescriptions for the patients in each outpatient visit, these analyses might have excluded most of the patients with poor adherence and did not receive regular drug refill. Hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for ever users and for each tertile of cumulative duration in referent to never users were estimated by Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using the PS. Because longitudinal reimbursement data from 1996 to 2001 were available for each patient, to ensure a diagnosis of new-onset diabetes after 1999, patients with a diabetes diagnosis noted between 1996 and 1998 were not included. More recently, it has gained attention for its potential role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s. With no cure for the disease, it has a profound societal and economic impact. More recently, Semaglutide has gained attention for its potential role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers specifically looked for a 10 pound weight loss in patients over a 12 month period, as clinicians determined this was big enough change to reevaluate treatment. As of now, the only research on the effects cholinesterase inhibitors has on weight have established a weak correlation between the treatment and subsequent weight loss, resulting in conflicting information. “Our results indicate that further research into semaglutide’s use will need to be further investigated through randomized clinical trials so alternative drugs can be tested as potential treatment for this debilitating illness,” Xu said. These findings also show there might be a role for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound when it comes to preventing dementia, researcher Frikke-Schmidt said. “Several studies have shown an association of BMI with later life dementia, and the authors of this paper suggest that this linkage is driven by systolic and diastolic blood pressure,” said Snyder, who was not involved in the study. Donepezil will not cure Alzheimer's disease, and it will not stop the disease from getting worse. To take the drug, you'll need to have test results that show you have one of these conditions. You take it as a weekly shot to manage obesity. Semaglutide also is used to help control type 2 diabetes. Topiramate increases the risk of birth defects. Other GLP-1 agonists appear to be somewhat less effective for weight loss. All GLP-1 agonists can help with weight loss. If you have prediabetes, have your blood sugar checked at least once a year to make sure you haven't developed type 2 diabetes. Most women who have gestational diabetes deliver healthy babies. Researchers first of all discovered similar rates of obesity-related cancer among patients treated with the drugs and those given bariatric surgery. He added that advancing the drug for Alzheimer's disease could be “significantly faster than developing a new therapy from scratch” as it is already used to treat patients with diabetes. But experts say the injections could also slow cognitive decline and brain cell loss in Alzheimer's patients by up to 50 per cent following a landmark study. “It is highly likely that effectively treating type 2 diabetes and obesity would reduce dementia and stroke risk as they are known risk factors for these conditions,” she said. A 2023 meta-analysis of 41 randomized clinical trials examined the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on glycemic markers in 2,900 men and women age 18 years and older . A systematic review of three randomized clinical trials compared 234 participants who took 2 g/day oral propionyl-L-carnitine for 4 to 6 months with 222 patients who took placebo . Peripheral artery disease is a vascular disorder usually caused by atherosclerosis and its resulting arterial stenosis and occlusion. Because of differences in intestinal bacteria composition, omnivorous study participants produced more TMAO than vegans or vegetarians after consumption of L-carnitine. Other research has raised concerns about the negative cardiovascular effects of chronic exposure to carnitine. Importantly, several GLP‑1 drugs cross the blood–brain barrier, allowing direct central nervous system effects. Although some studies suggest it may help people lose weight, we need higher-quality evidence for it to be compared to FDA-approved drugs like Ozempic. WASHINGTON—People with obesity and high blood pressure may face a higher risk of dementia, according to a new study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. If needed, your healthcare team may recommend an OTC laxative if these lifestyle changes aren’t enough. Similar to the other side effects discussed above, constipation tends to improve over time. Along with diarrhea, constipation can also happen with semaglutide. Talk to your healthcare team if your diarrhea is persistent or affecting your daily activities. Similar to nausea and vomiting, you’re more likely to experience diarrhea with higher semaglutide doses. But it is likely that these drugs can have an indirect effect on the brain. So, there’s a lot of work happening trying to see whether we can get these drugs into the brain better. So, there’s quite a lot of activity happening because of the potential of these drugs in treating Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. So, one of the things that I would say is we need to better understand how much these drugs get into the brain. Novo Nordisk calls it part of a pilot program to add obesity to the list of covered medical conditions and expects that most Part D beneficiaries would be covered. The restriction followed a late 1990s scandal involving the diet pill known as fen-phen, an appetite suppressant that combined fenfluramine and phentermine and later was linked to heart disease. Administration officials expect that percentage to rise to 10 percent, about 7 million people, with the GLP-1 discounts. “Coverage and pricing changes will phase in during 2026 with cash prices for TrumpRx purchases as early as January,” says Michael Baker, director of health care policy at the American Action Forum. Untreated high blood pressure can increase your risk of serious health problems. Preventing and controlling high blood pressure is important for your heart health and may benefit your brain health as well. There are important considerations for older adults in deciding whether to start treatment for high blood pressure, including other health conditions and overall fitness. Furthermore, research should explore potential synergistic effects of weight loss drugs with other Alzheimer's therapies. Further research is needed to determine the causal relationship, if any, between gut microbiome changes and Alzheimer’s risk in the context of weight loss drugs. The relationship between weight loss drugs and Alzheimer's disease is a complex and evolving area of research. "Previous studies have shown that semaglutide is effective in Parkinson's disease and stroke," write the researchers. Although the study’s primary endpoint, which focused on changes in the glucose metabolism in the brain, was not met, the secondary endpoint of changes in scores for clinical and cognitive measures and the exploratory endpoint of brain volume showed a statistically significant improvement. Though other trials have not shown any impact, antidepressants may help dementia patients with anorexia and boost their weight. Their analysis found that semaglutide lowered the risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by up to 70 percent compared to those with diabetes who were taking any of seven other diabetes drugs, including insulin, metformin and older GLP-1 drugs. It has been used for more than 15 years to treat diabetes and is the active ingredient in the popular weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. Already, there is evidence to suggest that GLP-1 drugs can reduce the build-up of amyloid and tau on the brain — two proteins thought to be responsible for Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia. “The treatment and prevention of elevated BMI and high blood pressure represent an unexploited opportunity for dementia prevention.”The researchers analyzed data from participants in Copenhagen and the U.K. Adverse effects of megestrol include gastrointestinal upset, insomnia, impotence, hypertension, thromboembolic events, and adrenal insufficiency.20,21 Mirtazapine, a serotonin antagonist used to treat depression, has weight gain as a known adverse effect in up to 12% of patients. Decreased saliva production, ill-fitting dentures, periodontal disease, and weakened mastication muscles can lead to poor dentition and impaired chewing.29 A cross-sectional, self-administered study distributed to more than 100,000 community-dwelling older adults in Japan found a significant correlation between having fewer teeth and lower weight in both sexes. If you have type 2 diabetes and you want to find out if these medicines might be useful for you to lose weight, talk with your diabetes care team. But it's not clear whether these benefits are from the medicine or a result of weight loss. Many people who take these medicines also see their blood pressure improve. But the risk of low blood sugar typically only goes up when a person also is taking another medicine that's known to lower blood sugar. Communication problems mean that people living with dementia can be untreated for metabolic illnesses, cancers, or infections. Many times, people living with dementia find it difficult to swallow, which reduces their quality of life. While the adverse effects of medication may be reversible with therapy modifications, advanced cognitive impairment is not. Dysphagia, which affects up to 57% of severe dementia patients, can aggravate problems with mobility, chewing, and swallowing. Moreover, the emergence of malaria parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs has prompted the search for new, effective, and safe antimalarial agents. The herbal and herbal drugs are having phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, glycosides, saponins, triterpenoids etc., for their therapeutic activity. So that this review is focused on the reasons for why people again going back to herbal medicine. This is the sixth in a series of CSDD studies that documents changes in the status of new drug development in the United States. The development of new drugs by pharmaceutical firms is unquestionably an important form of industrial innovation. Poor appetite, disorientation, problems with vision and perception, and an inability to feed oneself can all contribute to poor nutrition in those with the disease. Men and women with Alzheimer’s disease also tend to be thinner than those without the illness. People at risk for Alzheimer’s may also lose their sense of smell, which may make them less interested in food. The researchers found that declines in BMI after age 70 were most rapid in women with the APOE-E4 gene, regardless of whether the women went on to develop dementia. For more information about whether costs related to nutrition, wellness, and general health are medical expenses under section 213 of the Code, see Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses PDF and Tax Topic 502, Medical and Dental Expenses. They don't include expenses that are merely beneficial to general health. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter OTC) medicines and herbal (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements. However, our findings suggest that, weight loss is the key weight-related marker of incident MCI in the elderly. From these measures, we demonstrated that age at which weight is assessed is important when investigating the association of weight with risk of MCI. An important strength of our study is the ability to assess maximum midlife weight from the medical records of participants and from direct measurements in late life. While weight loss may not be causally related to MCI, we hypothesize that weight loss may represent a prodromal stage or an early manifestation of MCI. After taking into account rate of weight change, midlife and late life weights do not contribute to risk of MCI. If you or your loved one is misusing drugs, know that you’re not alone in your struggle. Many more prescription drugs are commonly misused, for example, Imodium abuse to get high. If you or your loved one is struggling with drug addiction, contact a professional to find out about further treatments, including medical detox and rehab. Once a person is addicted to a medicine, they may either buy a copious amount or lie and/or bribe doctors to provide them with prescriptions for more dangerous medications. The risks, side effects and cost related to taking the drug likely override any potential benefit.It's used as a treatment for acne, wrinkles, or other facial skin concerns.Other studies have shown that elderly men and women who quickly shed pounds are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s.Several weight-loss medications have drawn attention due to their potential implications for Alzheimer's risk.These changes also reduce calorie needs and can make it harder to keep off excess weight.And you did see better cognition, less atrophy of the brain.Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Many of these patients were also cigarette smokers who had unsuccessfully tried quitting before, even with the help of existing smoking-cessation medications. Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. The study relied on medical records rather than directly following patients, meaning some diagnoses might have been missed or incorrect. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating diabetes in 2005 — they also began reporting they were smoking less or had even stopped altogether. About 120,000 Americans die from Alzheimer's disease each year, with the disease listed as the seventh-leading cause of death nationally, according to the CDC. The research team -- led by biomedical informatics professor Rong Xu -- analyzed three years of electronic records of nearly 1 million U.S. patients with T2D. According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly 7 million Americans 65 and older are living with the disease, and there are more deaths from Alzheimer's than breast and prostate cancer combined. We do not agree nor disagree with any of the studies we post, rather, we encourage our readers to debate the veracity of the findings themselves. Weight-related health conditions are more common in men with a waist circumference over 40 inches (102 centimeters). For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. Or divide weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. Weight Loss Drug Wegovy’s Next Act: Treating Alzheimer’s? On everage, women experienced an even lower risk for Alzheimer's with semaglutide when compared to men, at about 80% compared to 50%, respectively. It can also interact with the brain and signal a person to feel full, which -- when coupled with diet and exercise -- can help reduce weight in those who are overweight or obese. It can help produce more insulin, which reduces blood sugar and therefore helps control Type 2 diabetes. This new research highlights the evolving potential of GLP-1 medications to transform healthcare, offering hope for those battling chronic conditions while advocating for caution and thoughtful application. “It offers a helpful big-picture perspective,” he said, while also highlighting the importance of further research to better understand the full scope of these medications' effects. The most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and mixed dementia. People taking these and other medications on a regular basis should discuss their carnitine intake with their healthcare providers. Study participants who took carnitine supplements lost an average of 1.33 kg more weight than those who took a placebo, regardless of the study duration or L-carnitine dose. They both contain the same active ingredient semaglutide. It's the first drug approved for this purpose since 2014. Wegovy is a once-weekly injection approved by the FDA in 2021 for chronic weight management. Research has shown that if you stop taking Ozempic (or Wegovy), it's likely that you will gain back the weight you lost. Ozempic has a smaller dose of semaglutide than Wegovy. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments address the underlying biology. Although current medications cannot cure Alzheimer's, two U.S. The researchers behind the study said previous research documented the protective effect of pioglitazone in diabetic individuals. This medicine may increase your cholesterol and fats in the blood. If you or your child have diabetes, you may notice a change in the results of your urine or blood sugar tests. This medicine may cause a condition called drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Behavior changes, medicines and procedures for obesity also can help. Even if you have one or more of these risk factors, it doesn't mean that you're destined to develop obesity. Vicious cycle of cognitive impairment… In the meantime, there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of developing the condition. Alternative strategies are therefore desirable, and this is where semaglutide may shine. But receptors for GLP-1 were not detected in the cortex, making it unlikely that semaglutide directly activates memory networks. They might be doing something surprising.” As to what we know about how GLP-1 is orchestrating these diverse behaviors, according to DiLeone, there might be common underlying pathways, but it is likely that there are also unique elements driving these effects. The team noted that semaglutide protected these neurons and prevented their death. Inflammation also causes neurons to die, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Andriambeloson and his team saw that administering semaglutide to mice that had these protein plaques or inflammation for one week significantly ameliorated their memory and cognition deficits, as compared to placebo-treated mice. According to researchers, semaglutide can also potentially stave off brain disorders like Alzheimer’s. A clinical trial is underway here at the University of Oxford that will specifically examine tau levels in people who have high levels of amyloid-beta but have not (yet) developed dementia. WL not only represents a risk factor for AD, it is also so closely connected to the disease that it can be considered as one of its clinical signs. Given the impact of WL on cognitive performance, cognitive evaluation alone is clearly not enough in the follow-up of patients with AD; a multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach is needed. WL in advanced dementia could be likened to what happens in the terminal phase of several chronic diseases and stems from multiple causes. While state Medicaid programs must cover nearly all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs, a long-standing statutory exception allows states to choose whether to cover weight-loss drugs under Medicaid. Learn about other weight loss medications that are available Instead, talk to your health care provider about starting Wegovy for weight loss. Always consult your health care provider before beginning any new treatment, or if you have any questions regarding your health condition. Ahealthierphilly is sponsored by Independence Blue Cross, the leading health insurance organization in Southeastern Pennsylvania, serving nearly 2.5 million people in the region, providing health news and related information that leads to a more informed, healthier life. The positive health benefits are modest, offering about a 10% to 20% risk reduction for these conditions. Researchers also confirmed that GLP-1s lower the risk for heart disease. This class of drugs, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1s, also includes Wegovy and Zepbound. The study found that semaglutide users had 40-70% lower risk of receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis compared to users of other diabetes medications. The researchers used a nationwide database of electronic health records to identify patients with type 2 diabetes who started taking either semaglutide or other diabetes medications between December 2017 and May 2021. While the study doesn’t prove that semaglutide directly prevents Alzheimer’s, it adds to growing evidence that the drug may protect brain health through multiple pathways. Design Retrospective cohort study from 2007 to 2010 comparing weight loss in individuals with dementia newly prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors and those newly prescribed other chronic medications. “Clinicians should take into account the risk of weight loss when weighing the risks and benefits of prescribing cholinesterase inhibitors in patients with dementia,” the authors write. In addition to aiding in early detection and treatment, attention to NPS and weight changes may also provide insights into underlying disease mechanisms in AD and FTD. The underlying neurodegenerative process giving rise to dementia syndromes likely leads to early psychiatric symptoms and weight changes, prior to significant cognitive changes, providing a possible window for early intervention. AD, Alzheimer’s disease; FTD, frontotemporal dementia; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; CDR Sum, Clinical Dementia Rating – sum of boxes; FSRP, Framingham Stroke Risk Profile; BP, blood pressure; HTN, hypertension. Participants with AD also had higher baseline systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive use, smoking rates, cardiac disease, and hypercholesterolemia, which elevated Framingham risk scores. The rFSRP includes age, sex, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and antihypertensive medication use. The SELECT trial was the first large, randomized study to show that a drug used for obesity could reduce cardiovascular disease, says Isaacs. But other drugs (Trulicity, Victoza, Saxenda) and lifestyle interventions that have positive effects on glucose and weight haven’t demonstrated these types of impressive results, Isaacs points out. Currently, two placebo-controlled trials are underway to assess semaglutide’s neuroprotective effects in patients with early Alzheimer’s, along with another study examining its impact on the immune system in Alzheimer’s patients. A Kaplan-Meier curve showing the increased risk of conversion to FTD overtime in those with an increase in BMI greater than 3 kg/m2 compared to those without a BMI increase greater than 3 kg/m2 is displayed in Fig. However, participants with an initial diagnosis of MCI had a 1.16 increased hazard of converting to FTD when there were BMI gains between the initial visit and the first visit with a dementia diagnosis. There was no statistically significant association between cognitive test scores and subsequent BMI in participants with FTD. Results from our mixed-effects regression model assessing the association of cognition on subsequent BMI in AD and FTD are displayed in Table 2. Our study had 3,831 participants with a final diagnosis of AD and 417 participants with a final diagnosis of FTD. But in those circumstances, we should also find out what exactly is the reason to lose weight. Or so would it be safe, potentially, for them to participate in a trial or use this drug for Alzheimer’s? She said, what about Alzheimer’s patients who are already thin or even too thin? So, Melissa, in your study, was there any reduction in bad cholesterol? There is some debatable data about antidepressants, but there’s some suggestion that some people may feel a bit low with these compounds. Sometimes the real miracle isn’t the drug—it’s finding sustainable ways to be healthy that don’t bankrupt you. Weight loss drugs work—there’s real science behind them. Let’s talk about the real cost of these miracle drugs—and whether they’re worth obliterating your budget. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.