Weight loss jabs could prevent dementia, study finds

A new study has revealed that people on these weight loss drugs had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia, especially among women.

A new study from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine suggests that GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy could lower your risk of developing dementia.

The research team analysed three years of health records from 1.7 million Americans with type 2 diabetes across the US.

Patients taking semaglutide — the key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — had a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer’s-related dementia than those on other diabetes medications.

The benefit was especially strong among women and older adults.

Weight loss drugs like Ozempic could lower a person’s risk of developing dementia. Picture: AFP

“There is no cure or effective treatment for dementia, so this new study provides real-world evidence for its potential impact on preventing or slowing dementia development among at-high risk populations,” said Dr. Rong Xu, lead author and professor of biomedical informatics.

Researchers haven’t nailed down exactly what causes dementia — but they do know what raises your risk.

In Australia, an estimated 433,300 people are living with dementia in 2025, according to Dementia Australia. This number is predicted to almost double by 2058.

A 2024 Lancet Commission report found that up to 45 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented by tackling key lifestyle factors like obesity, physical inactivity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, alcohol use and even hearing loss.

The study found the benefit was especially strong among women. Picture: iStock

Next up, scientists want to see if newer GLP-1 drugs like tirzepatide — the active ingredient in Mounjaro — can also have a protective effect against dementia. They also plan to track potential long-term side effects.

“Our results indicate that research into semaglutide’s use for dementia prevention will need to be further investigated through randomised clinical trials,” Xu said.

While scientists hunt for a cure, there are still ways to get ahead of dementia.

The CDC recommends staying active, keeping your blood pressure in check, treating hearing loss, and cutting back on alcohol and cigarettes to help keep your brain sharp.

While the findings are promising, these medications such as those containing semaglutide are not currently approved in Australia for dementia prevention.

Further clinical trials are needed to determine their role, if any, in future dementia treatment pathways.

In Australia, Ozempic is a prescription medicine approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but is sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss.

Wegovy is a prescription medication that has been approved for chronic weight management in certain patients.

GPs prescribing these medications are expected to read and follow the publicly available criteria.

Parts of this article originally appeared on the New York Post.