summary: A new study finds that semaglutide, known as Ozempic/Wegovi, has no adverse effects on brain health and may reduce cognitive impairment and nicotine addiction. An analysis using more than 100 million patient records revealed no increased risk of neurological or psychiatric disorders compared with other anti-diabetic drugs.
These findings suggest that the benefits of semaglutide may extend beyond diabetes management. Further studies are needed to confirm these potential benefits.
Key Facts:
- No adverse effects: Semaglutide does not increase the risk of neurological or psychiatric disorders.
- Potential benefits: It is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment and nicotine dependence.
- Rich data: More than 100 million patient records, including 20,000 for semaglutide, were used in the analysis.
sauce: University of Oxford
Semaglutide – widely known Ozempic/Wegovi New research shows that e-cigarettes have no negative effects on brain health, are associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment, and are less addictive to nicotine.
The analysis, carried out by researchers at the University of Oxford and supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre and the Medical Research Council, found that taking the drug, a common treatment for type 2 diabetes, does not increase the risk of adverse neurological or psychiatric outcomes compared with other anti-diabetic drugs, casting doubt on recent concerns about the drug’s safety.
A comprehensive analysis published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, They used more than 100 million patient records from the US, including more than 20,000 people who were taking semaglutide. They found that semaglutide:
- Compared with other common antidiabetic drugs, it was not associated with an increased risk of neurological or psychiatric disorders, such as dementia, depression or anxiety.
- It was found to be associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment and nicotine dependence.
“Our findings suggest that the use of semaglutide may have unexpected benefits beyond diabetes management, in the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline and substance abuse,” said Dr Riccardo De Giorgi, clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study.
“Our findings therefore not only provide reassurance to the millions of patients who rely on semaglutide for their diabetes management, but, if confirmed, could have a major impact on public health in terms of reducing cognitive impairment and smoking rates in people with diabetes.”
Although the study’s robust methodology and extensive data provide strong evidence, the researchers say further investigation is needed and that the mechanism by which semaglutide exerts these effects remains unclear.
“Ours is an observational study and therefore these results need to be replicated in randomized controlled trials to confirm and extend our findings,” said Dr Max Tuckett, clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford and senior author of the study.
“Still, this is good news for people with mental illnesses who are at high risk for diabetes.”
Dr de Giorgi added that semaglutide is also used in obese people, and some people with diabetes are overweight, but the results of this study cannot be extrapolated to people without diabetes.
About this Neuropharmacology Research News
author: Ricardo De Jorge
sauce: University of Oxford
contact: Ricardo De Giorgi – University of Oxford
image: Image courtesy of Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Twelve-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes of semaglutide use for type 2 diabetes: a propensity score-matched cohort studyRiccardo De Giorgi et al. Clinical Medicine
Abstract
Twelve-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes of semaglutide use for type 2 diabetes: a propensity score-matched cohort study
background
Semaglutide, approved for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is being studied as a treatment for brain disorders, but concerns have emerged about adverse neuropsychiatric events. More data are therefore needed to assess the impact of semaglutide on brain health. This study provides a robust estimate of the risk of neurological and psychiatric outcomes following semaglutide use compared with three other antidiabetic drugs.
Method
This retrospective cohort study used electronic health records from the TriNetX US Collaborative Network, covering more than 100 million patients in the U.S. Because of the exploratory nature of this study, we did not use a preregistered protocol or statistical analysis plan.
Three cohorts of patients with type 2 diabetes prescribed semaglutide between December 1, 2017 and May 31, 2021 were propensity score matched (1:1 using a greedy nearest neighbor algorithm with a caliper distance of 0.1) to cohorts receiving sitagliptin, empagliflozin, and glipizide.
Cox regression analyses were used to compare the risk of 22 neurological and psychiatric outcomes within 1 year of the index prescription: encephalitis, Parkinsonism, cognitive impairment, dementia, epilepsy/seizures, migraine, insomnia, neuropathy, neuromuscular junction/muscle disease, intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, alcohol abuse, opioid abuse, cannabis abuse, stimulant abuse, nicotine abuse, psychosis, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and suicidality. Negative control outcomes (NCOs) were used to assess for unmeasured confounders.
Investigation result
Each matched cohort included 23,386 participants (semaglutide versus Sitagliptin), 22,584 (versus empagliflozin), 19,206 (versus Semaglutide was not associated with an increased risk of neurological or psychiatric outcomes in patients taking glipizide.
Instead, after correction for multiple testing, semaglutide was associated with a reduced risk of several outcomes, including cognitive impairment compared with sitagliptin (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.64–0.80) and glipizide (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63–0.81), dementia compared with sitagliptin (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.40–0.68), and nicotine abuse in most comparisons (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.61–0.85 for glipizide; HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65–0.90 for empagliflozin; HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70–0.95 for sitagliptin), although the latter was no longer statistically significant after correction for multiple testing in all comparisons.
Empagliflozin showed the smallest difference from semaglutide. No differences in NCO were observed between cohorts.
interpretation
Semaglutide is not associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric adverse events over 12 months compared with other antidiabetic drugs, and its potential beneficial associations with several outcomes, including cognitive impairment and nicotine abuse, should prompt testing in clinical trials.
Funding
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council.
