Drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, but recent research suggests they may also affect brain function.
اضافة اعلان
According to a new scientific review published in the journal Science, the effect of these drugs on memory and cognitive abilities remains unresolved and needs further research.
Researchers note that animal studies have shown possible effects of these drugs on learning and memory, but results in humans have been mixed. Some studies based on patient records have found a link between GLP-1 treatment (weight-loss drugs) and a lower risk of dementia among people with type 2 diabetes. However, these studies do not prove that the drug is the direct cause.
In the EVOKE and EVOKE+ clinical trials run by Novo Nordisk, semaglutide did not succeed in slowing the progression of early Alzheimer's disease, although some biological markers linked to the disease changed.
Researchers do not yet know whether these drugs:
improve brain function indirectly, by improving metabolism and vascular health;
affect the brain directly; or do both.
Who might benefit most?
The researchers believe the groups most likely to benefit may be:
people with obesity;
people with type 2 diabetes;
patients who already have difficulties with attention, planning or mental processing speed.
These problems are often linked to metabolic or vascular disorders, which may make them more responsive to treatment than Alzheimer's disease itself.
Stina Börschers, the first author of the review, said: "We need to know whether these treatments can help people with obesity or diabetes maintain their cognitive abilities, especially if treatment begins before cognitive problems appear."
She added that it is also important to identify the patients who might genuinely benefit from these drugs.
The researchers also stressed the need for clinical trials that track memory and cognitive abilities from the start of treatment, alongside monitoring of older patients and those who are physically frail, because rapid weight loss and loss of muscle mass can affect physical function and reduce the expected benefit of treatment.
Christopher Clemmensen, the review's lead author, said: "Obesity drugs have become more sophisticated, creating new opportunities to understand the link between metabolic regulation and brain function. If we can distinguish between the direct and indirect effects of these drugs, we may arrive at treatments tailored to preserving cognitive abilities."
