This meta-analysis pooled seven randomised trials of GLP-1 receptor agonists against placebo or usual care across the Alzheimer's continuum. Mean age of the 4132 participants was 72.1 years, with EVOKE and EVOKE+ contributing 3808. Cognition did not improve (ADAS-Cog standardised mean difference -0.05, 95% CI -0.12 to 0.02). Disease progression was unchanged (CDR-SB mean difference 0.09, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.28). Adverse events (90.7% vs 84.2%), discontinuation (16.4% vs 7.9%) and weight loss (35.2% vs 7.0%) were all higher. Biomarker findings were inconsistent, certainty of evidence was low, and two of seven trials were at high risk of bias.
Why it is interesting: GLP-1 drugs have been widely proposed as repurposed dementia treatments on metabolic grounds. The pooled randomised evidence, now dominated by two large trials, shows no cognitive benefit and a tolerability cost.
Cite this item
BibTeX
Free sign-up. A digest of the new papers twice a week, grouped by domain.
Other drivers in Health today
-
Cancer
Where is cancer incidence rising and falling, what screening and new tests find earlier, and what treatment has done to survival.
8 this week -
Obesity, diabetes and GLP-1
Are obesity and diabetes still rising, what behavioural change and public policy do, and what difference do GLP-1s and other similar drugs make.
11 this week -
Heart and stroke
Whether deaths from heart disease and stroke have stopped falling, what is found earlier, what treatment and prevention do now, and what the deaths say.
5 this week -
Mental health
Deaths by suicide, the life expectancy gap in severe mental illness, and the physical disease that follows it: what mental illness costs in lives.
2 this week -
Dementia
Whether dementia is becoming more or less common, what is now found, what treatment and prevention do, and what the deaths say.
4 this week -
Frailty and multimorbidity
Whether the years added after 85 are healthy ones, how frailty and multiple conditions are measured, and where the data run out.
1 this week
