GLP-1 Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease Risks Questioned in New Study

Researchers suggested the increased risks may be linked to GLP-1 patients living longer, while cautioning that additional clinical trials are needed to better understand any link between GLP-1s and dementia.

While newer diabetes and weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy have been linked to numerous health benefits, multiple studies have also connected them to unexpected side effects, including research that suggests there may be a link between use of the popular medications and the development of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other conditions involving loss of cognition.

In new findings recently released, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the New York Medical College in Valhalla report that Type 2 diabetic adults taking this class of medications, known as GLP-1s, face an increased risk of developing cognitive impairment after a decade of use. Results were compared with those who do not take the drugs. 

However, the researchers also warn this could be the result of a longer lifespan among GLP-1 patients, particularly women. The findings were presented last week at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Chicago.

GLP-1 medications are a newer class of diabetes and weight loss drugs. While some, like Victoza, have been on the market for years, the injectable Type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic was the breakthrough for this class, particularly after it was linked to significant weight loss benefits. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer, then created a weight-loss specific formulation of the same active ingredient in Ozempic (semaglutide) and named it Wegovy.

Competitor Eli Lilly has also fielded the GLP-1 drugs Mounjaro for Type 2 diabetics and Zepbound for weight loss. Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are rolling out tablet and pill versions of the usually injectable medications, which may increase their popularity and accessibility. The drug class also includes Saxenda, Trulicity and Rybelsus.

GLP-1 Side Effects

Although the medications have been rapidly adopted by medical providers and consumers nationwide, GLP-1 drugs have been linked to a growing number of seemingly unanticipated and serious health risks.

In recent years, the class has been shown to have increased risks of gastrointestinal problems, including gastroparesis (stomach paralysis) and bowel obstruction. This has resulted in thousands of Ozempic lawsuits, Wegovy lawsuits, Mounjaro lawsuits and other GLP-1 stomach paralysis complaints being filed nationwide.

Additionally, Ozempic and Wegovy specifically have been linked to GLP-1 vision loss side effects due to a rare condition known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). In this condition, the optic nerve suffers from insufficient blood flow, leading to sudden and often irreversible vision loss. Over the past year, as more studies have appeared to confirm the association, a growing number of former users have filed Ozempic and Wegovy NAION lawsuits.

Regardless of the injuries, plaintiffs universally allege that the manufacturers either failed to properly test GLP-1 medications before they were put on the market, failed to provide patients and their doctors with adequate warnings about the health risks, or failed to do both.

GLP-1 Alzheimer’s, Dementia Risks

The new research was undertaken by Isaac Thorman, ScM and a team of analysts who looked at data on nearly 65,000 patients. They compared those who used GLP-1 medications with those who did not, while looking for signs of both cognitive impairment and mortality.

According to the findings, Ozempic and similar medications were linked to a higher risk of developing cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s and dementia.

However, researchers say that may be a good thing, because they also found that GLP-1 recipients live longer than diabetics who do not take the drug. As a result, they interpreted the findings as being that GLP-1 users live long enough into old age to begin to lose cognition.

The researchers noted that this signal is strongest in women. Diabetic men included in the study generally did not live long enough to see the cognitive decline. In addition, no protective benefits were seen in patients over the age of 80 taking the drugs.

Despite their conclusions, the researchers warned that their findings should be interpreted with caution, and stressed that they have not proven a causal connection between GLP-1s, mortality or cognition. They also called for additional long-term surveillance and randomized standard trials to improve data and create a clearer picture of the medications’ side effects on mortality and mental decline.

GLP-1 Stomach Paralysis Lawsuits

Plaintiffs nationwide are pursuing more than 3,300 GLP-1 stomach paralysis lawsuits against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly in federal courts nationwide, indicating they suffered severe and sometimes permanent injuries and disabilities due to the gastroparesis side effects of the medications.

All of these federal claims have been consolidated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania into a GLP-1 stomach paralysis lawsuit multidistrict litigation before U.S. District Judge Karen Marston.

Judge Marston is overseeing coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings for the growing litigation, and is working with the parties to choose a small group of cases representative of the lawsuits as a whole for bellwether trials. These early test cases will allow the parties and court to see how juries weigh the strengths and weaknesses of both sides’ arguments and evidence.

GLP-1 Vision Loss Lawsuits

The same judge has also been assigned to oversee dozens of GLP-1 vision loss lawsuits filed in recent months in the same district. The two litigations are running on parallel, yet separate, tracks.

NAION causes rapid onset of blurred or reduced vision, including blindness, and often results in nerve damage. The effects can occur suddenly and may be permanent.

More than 50 GLP-1 vision loss lawsuits have already been filed and Judge Marston is expected to have some of these cases prepared for bellwether trials as well.

While the outcome of these early test trials will not be binding on other stomach paralysis or vision loss lawsuits, they will be closely watched to see what kinds of payouts are awarded to plaintiffs, which could have a significant impact on settlement negotiations. If no such agreement or other resolution is reached by the time the bellwether trials are concluded, Judge Marston is likely to begin remanding the claims back to their originating districts to be prepared for individual trials.

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