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Real-world observations of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors as potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease
Pengyue Zhang, Chengsheng Mao, Anna Sun, Yuedi Yang, Yuan Hou, Zhimin Fu, Tousi Babak, James B Leverenz et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025-09
Topic: Drug trials: efficacy and safety
Plain-language summary
We identified GLP-1 receptor agonist initiation compared to DPP-4 inhibitors initiation was associated with a reduced risk of AD (hazard ratio [HR] ≤ 0.69 and P value < 0.001) and SGLT-2 inhibitor initiation compared to DPP-4 inhibitor initiation was associated with a reduced risk of AD (HR ≤ 0.67 and P value < 0.001). GLP-1 receptor agonist initiation and SGLT-2 inhibitor initiation are associated with a reduced risk of AD. Randomized clinical trials are warranted to validate the causal beneficial effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors in AD. HIGHLIGHTS: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are significantly associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are significantly associated with a reduced risk of AD compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. Two GLP-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide and semaglutide) and three SGLT-2 inhibitors (dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, and empagliflozin) are associated with a reduced risk of AD in drug-specific sensitivity analyses.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Zhang, P., Mao, C., Sun, A., Yang, Y., Hou, Y., Fu, Z., et al. (2025). Real-world observations of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors as potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70639
Vancouver
Zhang P, Mao C, Sun A, Yang Y, Hou Y, Fu Z, et al. Real-world observations of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors as potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70639. PMID: 40898408.
BibTeX
@article{zhang2025-40898408,
author = {Zhang, Pengyue and Mao, Chengsheng and Sun, Anna and Yang, Yuedi and Hou, Yuan and Fu, Zhimin and Babak, Tousi and Leverenz, James B and others},
title = {{Real-world observations of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors as potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70639},
pmid = {40898408},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70639}
}
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Key findings
- We identified GLP-1 receptor agonist initiation compared to DPP-4 inhibitors initiation was associated with a reduced risk of AD (hazard ratio [HR] ≤ 0.69 and P value < 0.001) and SGLT-2 inhibitor initiation compared to DPP-4 inhibitor initiation was associated with a reduced risk of AD (HR ≤ 0.67 and P value < 0.001).
- GLP-1 receptor agonist initiation and SGLT-2 inhibitor initiation are associated with a reduced risk of AD.
- Randomized clinical trials are warranted to validate the causal beneficial effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors in AD.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are significantly associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors.
- Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are significantly associated with a reduced risk of AD compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multicenter collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 30 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 54 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40898408) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 30 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 30 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 54 out of 100. |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
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