Ozempic & Dementia: Could The Diabetes Drug Protect Your Brain?

Over the past year or so, interest in diabetes medications like Ozempic and Zepbound has soared, and not because of their ability to manage blood sugar, but rather because of their weight loss benefits. As a result, researchers have delved into what other benefits GLP-1 drugs can provide, with a more recent study suggesting that they may help reduce the likelihood of one developing two brain-related conditions: dementia and ischemic stroke.

Ozempic and Your Brain

Type 2 diabetes and obesity can have quite an impact on the body, especially if not adequately managed or controlled. This article will look at a study examining how the use of anti-diabetic drugs may help protect brain health in people living with diabetes and obesity.

For the study, the researchers analyzed seven years of health data that featured 60,000 participants, all of whom had type 2 diabetes and obesity. Some of these participants were prescribed diabetes drugs like biguanides, sulfonylureas, and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, whereas the others were prescribed the GLP-1s semaglutide or tirzepatide. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus, whereas tirzepatide is used in Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Ozempic has brain benefits

Per the study’s findings, published in JAMA Network Open, GLP-1 was found to reduce the risk of dementia by 37%, the risk of ischemic stroke by 19%, as well as reduce the risk of death from any cause by 30%.

“This extends [GLP-1s’] therapeutic scope from glycemic control, weight loss, and cardiovascular control to direct neuro- and cerebrovascular protection.” – study’s first author, Huan-Tang Lin, MD, PhD, to Health

Ozempic for brain health?

This is not the first study that has found an association between GLP-1 and improved brain health.

A separate study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease suggested that patients who were taking semaglutide had a 40 – 50 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who were prescribed other medications like insulin or metformin.

Why do GLP-1 drugs have such a beneficial effect on the brain?

Meghan Garcia-Webb, MD, a triple-board-certified physician in internal medicine, lifestyle medicine, and obesity medicine in Massachusetts, explained to Health that weight loss can trigger reduced inflammation, improved blood sugar, as well as better mobility and less joint stress.

“Patients who can move and exercise more comfortably and more often can further improve their cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health.”

In addition, past research has proposed that GLP-1 drugs may combat amyloid-β peptide accumulation and neuroinflammation.

Nonetheless, the initial study does have limitations, as it only showed an association, not causation. Thus, Lin advises that we wait for the findings to be peer-reviewed and confirmed before proposing clinical recommendations.

Protecting Your Brain

Sadly, there is currently no cure for dementia. However, there are habits that one can adopt to protect their brain and reduce their risk for dementia or stroke. These include:

• Following the MIND diet, which features fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes, olive oil, while limiting red meat, alcohol, butter, as well as fried or baked foods.
• Staying physically active
• Maintaining healthy social relationships
• Managing stress levels
• No smoking or vaping
• Getting enough sleep
• Having regular eye and ear check-ups

Want to know more?

With the rising interest and use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, researchers are uncovering how these weight loss medications come with a risk of side effects like nausea, diarrhea, decreased kidney function, and now “Ozempic blindness.”

References

Anderson Witmer, S. (2025). Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic May Also Protect Against Dementia, Stroke, and Even Death. Health. Available at: https://www.health.com/glp-1s-ozempic-dementa-stroke-death-11777276.

Lin, H.-T., Tsai, Y.-F., Liao, P.-L. and Wei, J.C.-C. (2025). Neurodegeneration and Stroke After Semaglutide and Tirzepatide in Patients With Diabetes and Obesity. JAMA Network Open, 8(7), pp.e2521016–e2521016. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.21016.

‌‌Wang, W., Davis, P. B., Qi, X., Gurney, M., Perry, G., Volkow, N. D., Kaelber, D. C., & Xu, R. (2025). Associations of semaglutide with Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias in patients with type 2 diabetes: A real-world target trial emulation study. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. https://doi.org/10.1177_13872877251351329

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