Does liraglutide protect against dementia?

Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. It works by increasing insulin secretion, decreasing glucagon secretion, and delaying gastric emptying.

There is growing interest in the potential neuroprotective effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists, including liraglutide, but the evidence is not yet conclusive. In animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, GLP-1 receptor agonists such as liraglutide have shown promising results.

A few small clinical trials and pilot studies have been conducted in people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Some of these studies suggest that liraglutide may improve cognitive function or slow the decline, but the results are mixed.

Larger, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials are currently underway to further investigate the effectiveness and safety of liraglutide in the treatment of cognitive impairment and dementia. The results of these studies will be important in determining whether liraglutide has a role in the prevention or treatment of dementia.

Although there is promising preclinical and early clinical research suggesting that liraglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists may have neuroprotective properties, there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that liraglutide is effective in protecting against dementia in humans.

Source: https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/alz.057848

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2024-08-04 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024