WEIGHT loss jabs could slow down Alzheimer’s disease and protect against dementia, a study suggests.
Imperial College London researchers found one of the injections reduced brain shrinkage and slowed memory loss.
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In a trial on 204 UK patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s, half were given liraglutide, also known as Saxenda, and half received a placebo.
After a year, the weight jab patients had an 18 per cent slower decline in their brain function compared to the untreated patients.
MRI scans showed they also lost 50 per cent less brain tissue.
If the effects are proven in bigger trials it could be yet another breakthrough for the blockbuster drugs.
The GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, have already been found to burn off fat, battle type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of strokes and heart disease.
Study author Professor Paul Edison, from Imperial College, said: “The slower loss of brain volume suggests liraglutide protects the brain much like statins protect the heart.
“It may reduce inflammation in the brain, lower insulin resistance and the toxic effects of Alzheimer’s biomarkers amyloid-beta and tau, or improve how the brain’s nerve cells communicate.”
Prof Tara Spires-Jones, of the UK Dementia Research Institute, was not involved with the study but said: “These data are promising.
“There are clear links between risk factors including diabetes and obesity being associated with increased risk of dementia.
“The GLP-1 drug should help reduce these risk factors as well as potentially directly protecting brain cells.”
Around one million people in the UK have dementia and two thirds of cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
There are currently no medicines approved to slow down or stop the disease.
It means toxic proteins can clump together in the brain and damage and slowly destroy nerves, eventually wrecking people’s memory, thinking skills and muscle control.
We are in an era of unprecedented promise
Dr Maria Carillo
Another class of drugs is being developed to clear out the damaging amyloid and tau proteins.
Dr Maria Carillo, chief scientific officer of the US Alzheimer’s Association, where the research was presented, said: “We are in an era of unprecedented promise.
“This research provides hope that more options for changing the course of the disease are on the horizon.”
Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, added: “Dementia remains the only health condition in the top ten leading causes of death in the UK for which there are no treatments to slow, stop or prevent it.
“People desperately need treatments targeting the different aspects of the condition if we are to continue progress towards a cure.
“Being able to repurpose drugs already licensed for other health conditions could help accelerate progress and open up new avenues to prevent or treat dementia-causing diseases, such as Alzhiemer’s.
“Larger trials are now happening to see whether drugs like liraglutide are effective at slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”
What are the early symptoms of cognitive decline?
WE all notice a natural decline in memory and thinking as we age.
This will be more pronounced in some people, as they experience memory and thinking problems that are mild but still noticeable.
This is described as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Unlike dementia sufferers, people with MCI can still get on with day-to-day life.
Research suggests that two out of 10 people over the age
of 65 have MCI, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.
About one in 10 people who’ve received an MCI diagnosis will go on to develop dementia.
Symptoms of MCI include:
Memory – Misplacing items or having trouble
remembering recent conversations.
- Attention problems – finding it difficult to concentrate,
e.g. while watching a TV programme or carrying out
duties at work - Disorientation – confusion about time, date or place
- Thinking skills – problems with planning or completing
tasks, e.g. managing money, or cooking a meal - Problems with communication and finding the right words
- Mood and behaviour changes – becoming irritable, anxious,
or feeling low
These symptoms may affect someone with MCI all the
time, or they might come and go.
There are steps we can take to keep our brains as healthy as possible. These include:
- Not smoking
- Doing regular physical activity
- Staying mentally and socially active
- Eating a healthy balanced diet
- Limiting the amount of alcohol we drink
- Having your hearing checked regularly
- Keeping blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
levels in check
