New research suggests that widely used diabetes medications could help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults, offering hope for new preventative treatments for brain health. A study led by the University of Florida has found that two common classes of diabetes drugs—GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2is)—may offer protective effects against Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
The findings, published in JAMA Neurology, analyzed Medicare data from tens of thousands of older adults with Type 2 diabetes. The study compared the health outcomes of patients starting on either GLP-1RAs or SGLT2is with those prescribed other types of glucose-lowering medications.
The results revealed a notable reduction in dementia cases among those using the diabetes drugs. Patients on GLP-1RAs showed a 33% lower risk of developing dementia, while those on SGLT2is had a 43% lower risk. The impact was strong enough to suggest that these medications could potentially benefit individuals even without diabetes.
Dr. Serena Jingchuan Guo, lead researcher and assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, expressed excitement about the possibility of using these drugs for Alzheimer’s prevention. “It’s promising that these diabetes medications may offer additional benefits, such as protecting brain health,” she said. “This research opens up the potential for these drugs to play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease in the future.”
The study involved over 90,000 Medicare patients, with participants aged between 63 and 66. Researchers found that the use of GLP-1RAs and SGLT2is was linked to a lower incidence of dementia—2.26 and 3.05 fewer cases per 1,000 person-years, respectively—compared to other glucose-lowering treatments.
While both classes of drugs—GLP-1RAs, which stimulate insulin release and slow digestion, and SGLT2is, which help eliminate excess glucose through urine—are already recognized for their ability to regulate blood sugar, recent studies suggest they may also reduce inflammation and improve blood circulation, which could contribute to brain health. Laboratory research has indicated potential neuroprotective effects, raising hopes that these drugs could slow or even prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s-related damage.
Despite the promising findings, the study is observational, and the researchers caution that it does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The next step is to investigate how these drugs perform in people without diabetes using clinical data to better understand their real-world benefits.
The research is timely as the use of GLP-1RAs has surged, particularly for weight loss treatments. If these medications prove effective in supporting cognitive health, their applications could expand significantly beyond managing diabetes.
For people with Type 2 diabetes, these findings could mean more than just better blood sugar control—they could also help maintain brain function, delaying or preventing dementia and preserving quality of life. This research marks a hopeful step forward in the quest to combat one of the most debilitating diseases of aging.
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