Could weight loss drugs help reduce dementia risk? Here's what new studies suggest.
CBSN
Popular diabetes and weight loss drugs may do more than curb appetites — they may also help reduce the risk of dementia, according to new research.
Two studies that noted this unexpected effect were recently published in the journal JAMA Neurology, though neither were specifically designed to look at that risk. One looked at 26 different clinical trials of these medications while the other looked at health records of thousands of people on these medications.
"These were not clinical trials specifically to look at dementia, but based on what they saw in those trials, there was a hint that these newer medications, like Ozempic, like Mounjaro, may reduce the risk of dementia in people who are on those drugs," Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, said on "CBS Mornings" Tuesday.
