New publications
Popular diabetes drugs may reduce the risk of dementia
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
People with type 2 diabetes who are treated with GLP-1 agonists have a reduced risk of developing dementia, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.
Drugs known as GLP-1 agonists or GLP-1 analogues are becoming increasingly popular in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity because they help control blood sugar levels, promote weight loss and protect the heart.
People with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing dementia, and it is hypothesized that newer diabetes drugs such as GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors may have a protective effect.
In a new registry-based study, researchers followed more than 88,000 older adults with type 2 diabetes for up to 10 years. Using a study design called a targeted emulation trial, which mimics a randomized clinical trial, they analyzed the association between three diabetes drugs (GLP-1 agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, or sulfonylureas) and the risk of developing dementia.
May Help Doctors Make Better Decisions They found that patients who used GLP-1 agonists had a 30% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those who used sulfonylureas and a 23% lower risk compared with those who used DPP-4 inhibitors.
"This is important because it could help doctors make more informed decisions about which drugs to use for older patients with type 2 diabetes," says Bone Tan, a PhD student in Sarah Hagg's research group at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet. "However, proper randomized trials are needed to establish with certainty that GLP-1 agonists reduce the risk of dementia."