Ozempic may reduce dementia risk and nicotine use

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Good day! New NordiskOzempic, the blockbuster diabetes drug, may have more to offer than regulating blood sugar and promoting weight loss.

That's according to a new analysis from Oxford University published last week, which found that Ozempic could reduce the risk of dementia and a range of other mental health problems compared with other existing treatments for patients with diabetes. In addition, researchers found that Ozempic reduced nicotine dependence in those patients.

The findings add to a growing list of potential health benefits for Ozempic and other popular GLP-1 treatments, such as Novo Nordisk's weight-loss injection Wegovy and drugs from rival Eli Lilly.

Large-scale clinical trials have already shown that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular complications and kidney disease. Other studies are examining GLP-1s in patients with sleep apnea and fatty liver disease, among other conditions, and are testing whether the drugs can curb addictive behaviors such as alcohol use and even gambling.

Now, let's look at the data from the new analysis, published in The Lancet's eClinicalMedicine journal on Thursday.

The study was based on medical records of more than 100,000 American patients with diabetes, including more than 20,000 who were prescribed semaglutide between December 2017 and May 2021.

Researchers compared semaglutide with three other diabetes treatments: Merck's Januvia, or sitagliptin; Pfizer's Glucotrol, or glipizide; and Eli Lilly and Jardiance, or empagliflozin, from Boehringer Ingelheim. They compared the risks of 22 neurological and psychiatric outcomes within one year of treatment with the different diabetes drugs.

Overall, Ozempic was associated with a lower risk of cognitive problems and nicotine dependence, the researchers found.

After one year, patients taking Ozempic had a 48% lower risk of developing dementia than those taking Januvia. The risk in patients on Ozempic was also 37% lower than in those taking Glucotrol and 9% lower than in those taking Jardiance.

It is worth noting that previous research has determined that patients with diabetes have a higher risk of developing dementia.

Patients taking Ozempic also experienced an 18% reduction in nicotine dependence compared to those taking Januvia. Nicotine dependence was also 28% lower in patients taking Ozempic compared to those taking Glucotrol and 23% lower than in those taking Jardiance.

“Our results suggest that the use of semaglutide could extend beyond diabetes control, potentially offering unexpected benefits in the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline and substance abuse,” said Dr. Riccardo De Giorgi, a clinical professor at the University of Oxford and senior author of the study, in a statement.

But the authors stressed that the analysis is observational. The results need to be replicated in a controlled trial that randomly assigns patients to the dose of Ozempic and the other drugs, according to Dr. Max Taquet, another Oxford clinical professor and senior author on the study.

We will continue to look out for further research in this area, so stay tuned for our coverage.

Feel free to send tips, advice, story ideas and information to Annika at [email protected].

UnitedHealth GroupThe problems of cyber attacks are not over yet.

The healthcare giant reported second-quarter results on Tuesday, which beat analysts' estimates on top and bottom lines, but raised its forecast for the expected impact per share from the cyberattack on Change Healthcare.

According to LSEG, UnitedHealth reported revenue of $98.86 billion for the quarter, narrowly beating the $98.84 billion expected by analysts. The company's adjusted earnings per share for the period were $6.80, while Wall Street was expecting $6.66 per share.

UnitedHealth reaffirmed its full-year adjusted earnings guidance of $27.50 to $28.00, but did disclose an estimated business interruption impact of 60 cents to 70 cents per share, compared with the 30 cents to 40 cents per share it provided last quarter. UnitedHealth said the business interruption impact includes lost revenue and “the cost of maintaining full availability” of affected Change Healthcare services.

UnitedHealth shares were up about 3% Tuesday morning.

Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, offers revenue cycle and payment management tools. It processes more than 15 billion billing transactions a year and 1 in 3 patient records passes through its systems, according to its website.

In February, UnitedHealth discovered that a cyber threat actor had breached part of Change Healthcare's information technology network. The company isolated and took the affected systems offline “immediately after detecting” the threat, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The disruption had serious consequences for the U.S. health care system, as many doctors were temporarily left without a way to fill prescriptions or receive payment for their services. Some providers pulled thousands of dollars from their personal savings to stay afloat.

In May, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty revealed that the company paid a $22 million ransom to attackers in an attempt to prevent them from publishing patients’ personal health data. He estimated that the breach could affect one-third of all Americans.

UnitedHealth said Tuesday it has restored “the majority” of Change Healthcare’s services, according to its earnings report. The company said it has also provided more than $9 billion in advances to providers who needed them, according to the statement.

Read UnitedHealth's full earnings report here.

Feel free to send tips, advice, story ideas and information to Ashley at [email protected].