Popular Diabetes Drugs May Protect Against Alzheimer’s

Researchers at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy discovered that a pair of popular glucose-lowering drugs may protect people with Type 2 diabetes from developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

According to a recent study by the University of Florida, individuals with type 2 diabetes who take two popular anti-diabetic drugs are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

These drugs included sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), such as Jardiance, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

According to the findings published in JAMA Neurology, GLP-1RA and SGLT2i were associated with a 33% and 43% lower risk of dementia, respectively. However, other diabetes drugs showed no change in risk [1].

What is the Link Between Dementia and Diabetes?

The number of dementia cases increases in tandem with the population’s continually rising average age. Still, there is no treatment for this condition despite decades of extensive research. However, some treatments are available that can slow disease progression.

In addition, introducing a successful medication would take years to develop a strong enough body of evidence and millions of dollars.

These factors have led some researchers to concentrate on currently available drugs. If scientists can find a medicine that is already widely used and reduces the risk of dementia, it will be much easier to make it available.

Recent studies have indicated that there may be physiological parallels between type 2 diabetes and dementia, such as inflammation and compromised insulin signaling in the brain [2]. Individuals who have diabetes are also more likely to experience dementia.

That said, if a medicine reduces the severity of type 3 diabetes, it may also lower the chance of dementia. Scientists have now explored this topic, and some data suggests that diabetic medications may reduce dementia risk.

However, as the authors of the most recent study point out, we need more proof. They employed a more thorough methodology and robust confounding factor adjustment to create the most lucid image to date.

The Recent Research: Two Common Diabetes Drugs May Lower Dementia Risk

The researchers used data from 92,160 people aged 50 and older with type 2 diabetes from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama in the latest study.

They followed participants until they passed away or experienced dementia, such as Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, or frontotemporal dementia.

The researchers divided patients into three primary comparisons:

1. GLP-1RA versus other second-line glucose-lowering drugs (like sulfonylureas or DPP-4 inhibitors).
2. SGLT2i versus other second-line glucose-lowering drugs
3. GLP-1RA versus SGLT2i.

The objective was to determine if using one of these more recent medications had an impact on the likelihood of Alzheimer’s and related dementias over time.

The researchers employed advanced statistical methods to balance out variations across groups, such as age, gender, body weight, and other health characteristics, allowing them to compare results more precisely.

Compared to people using other diabetic drugs, those who began taking GLP-1 RAs had a 33% decreased chance of acquiring dementia. In the second comparison, SGLT2 inhibitor users were 43% less likely to be at risk than the same standard medication group. There was no discernible difference in dementia risk between GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2 inhibitors in the third comparison, indicating that both medications provided a comparable degree of protection.

How can these Medications Lower Dementia Risk?

Although the exact mechanism by which GLP-1RA and SGLT2i may lower the risk of dementia in individuals with type 2 diabetes is unknown, the authors provide some plausible explanations.

According to studies, GLP-1RAs can help reduce inflammation [3], improve insulin signaling in the brain [4], and promote neurogenesis (growth of new nerve cells) [5].

Similarly, SGLT2 inhibitors may protect the brain by enhancing cerebral blood flow [6], improving mitochondrial activity [7], and reducing oxidative stress.

Additionally, the researchers highlight that both medications are associated with better vascular and metabolic health, which may promote normal brain function.

Furthermore, there is some proof that these medications can lower the brain’s levels of tau and amyloid-beta proteins, which are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease [8].

Future Prospects: What’s next?

In a news release, Serena Jingchuan Guo, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy at the University of Florida, said it’s intriguing that these diabetic drugs might have other advantages, like safeguarding brain health [9].

According to their findings, GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2is have the encouraging potential for future consideration in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, she added. As the use of these treatments grows, it becomes increasingly critical to evaluate the real-world advantages and hazards across populations.

Despite the encouraging results, the researchers emphasize that the study was observational. Therefore, it is unable to demonstrate a clear causal link between the medications and a decreased risk of dementia. Nonetheless, the findings substantially support that hypothesis.

Guo stated that investigating how these drugs work in non-diabetic individuals is the next stage. This includes using actual clinical data to evaluate how they impact larger populations.

She continued that future studies should concentrate on discovering heterogeneous treatment effects, specifically identifying which patients are most likely to benefit and which may be more vulnerable to safety issues.

This work is especially relevant today. The use of GLP-1RAs to treat obesity has increased dramatically, and more people are using them than ever before. If these medications also improve cognitive health, their use in medicine may expand far beyond their intended goal.

Alzheimer’s Research Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. We provide the latest information and news about the illness and helpful tips to help caregivers cope with their daily caregiving challenges. We realize the most important thing that a caregiver needs is financial assistance. Therefore, we provide grants to caregivers to ease their financial burden. Caregivers can apply for grants here: Alzheimer’s Grant Application. 

You can also help caregivers in their endeavor by donating as much as possible: Donation To Alzheimer’s Research Associations.

References

1. Tang, H., Donahoo, W.T., DeKosky, S.T., Lee, Y.A., Kotecha, P., Svensson, M., Bian, J. and Guo, J., 2025. GLP-1RA and SGLT2i medications for type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer disease and related dementias. JAMA neurology.
2. Bello-Chavolla, O.Y., Antonio-Villa, N.E., Vargas-Vázquez, A., Ávila-Funes, J.A. and Aguilar-Salinas, C.A., 2019. Pathophysiological mechanisms linking type 2 diabetes and dementia: review of evidence from clinical, translational and epidemiological research. Current diabetes reviews, 15(6), pp.456-470.
3. Diz-Chaves, Y., Mastoor, Z., Spuch, C., González-Matías, L.C. and Mallo, F., 2022. Anti-inflammatory effects of GLP-1 receptor activation in the brain in neurodegenerative diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(17), p.9583.
4. Nowell, J., Blunt, E. and Edison, P., 2023. Incretin and insulin signaling as novel therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Molecular psychiatry, 28(1), pp.217-229.
5. Du, H., Meng, X., Yao, Y. and Xu, J., 2022. The mechanism and efficacy of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13, p.1033479.
6. Pawlos, A., Broncel, M., Woźniak, E. and Gorzelak-Pabiś, P., 2021. Neuroprotective effect of SGLT2 inhibitors. Molecules, 26(23), p.7213.
7. Yaribeygi, H., Maleki, M., Butler, A.E., Jamialahmadi, T. and Sahebkar, A., 2023. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and mitochondrial functions: State of the art. EXCLI journal, 22, p.53.
8. Li, Y., Duffy, K.B., Ottinger, M.A., Ray, B., Bailey, J.A., Holloway, H.W., Tweedie, D., Perry, T., Mattson, M.P., Kapogiannis, D. and Sambamurti, K., 2010. GLP-1 receptor stimulation reduces amyloid-β peptide accumulation and cytotoxicity in cellular and animal models of Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s disease, 19(4), pp.1205-1219.
9. Francischine, T. Popular diabetes medications, including GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, may protect against Alzheimer’s disease. UF News. https://news.ufl.edu/2025/04/diabetes-medication-alzheimers/. Published Online: 16th April, 2025. Accessed: 5th May, 2025.
10. Francischine, T. Popular diabetes medications may protect against Alzheimer’s disease, UF researchers find. UF College of Pharmacy. https://ufhealth.org/news/2025/popular-diabetes-medications-may-protect-against-alzheimers-disease-uf-researchers-find. Published Online: 16th April, 2025. Accessed: 5th May, 2025.
11. Newman, T. Diabetes drugs like Ozempic or Jardiance may slash Alzheimer’s risk. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/diabetes-drugs-like-ozempic-or-jardiance-may-slash-alzheimers-risk. Published Online: 9th April, 2025. Accessed: 5th May, 2025.
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