Health review: Diabetes drug Ozempic may lower dementia risk, nicotine use

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Hello! Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic may have more to offer than blood sugar control and weight loss.

This is according to a study by the University of Oxford published last week, which found that Ozempic can reduce the risk of dementia and other mental problems compared to other existing treatments for of diabetic patients. In addition, researchers found that Ozempic breaks nicotine addiction in these patients.

These findings add to the list of potential health benefits of Ozempic and other popular GLP-1 treatments, such as Novo Nordisk’s weight loss injection Wevy and the drug from competitor Eli Lilly.

Large clinical trials have shown that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, can cut the risk of complications from heart disease and kidney disease. Other studies are examining GLP-1 in patients with sleep apnea and fatty liver disease, among other conditions, and evaluating whether it can prevent addictive behaviors such as alcohol and drug addiction. drug addiction.

Now, let’s dive into the data from a new study, published in the Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine journal on Thursday.

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

The researchers compared semaglutide with three other diabetes treatments: Merck’s Januvia, or sitagliptin; Pfizer’s Glucotrol, or glipizide; and Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s Jardiance, or empagliflozin. They compared the risk of 22 neurological and psychiatric outcomes within one year of treatment with different diabetes medications.

In general, Ozempic is associated with a lower risk of mental problems and nicotine addiction, the researchers said.

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

It should be noted that previous research has determined that diabetes patients are at risk of developing dementia.

Patients who took Ozempic saw an 18% reduction in nicotine addiction compared to Januvia. Nicotine dependence was also 28% lower in Ozempic patients compared to Glucotrol and 23% lower than that of Jardiance.

"The results suggest that the use of semaglutide may extend beyond the management of diabetes, which may provide unexpected benefits in the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline and misuse," Dr. Riccardo De Giorgi, clinical professor at the University of Oxford and author of the study, said in a statement.

The authors emphasize, however, that the study is observational. The results need to be replicated in controlled trials that assign patients to randomly receive Ozempic and other drugs, according to Dr. Max Taquet, another Oxford clinical professor and academic author.

We will continue to explore future research in this area, so stay tuned for our coverage.

Feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.

UnitedHealth Group’s cyberattack woes are far from over.

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

UnitedHealth reported $98.86 billion in revenue for the quarter, topping analysts' expectations of $98.84 billion, according to LSEG. Wall Street’s earnings per share was $6.80 in the last financial report.

UnitedHealth reaffirmed its full-year earnings outlook of $27.50 to $28; However, it estimated the impact of the business interruption at 60 to 70 cents per share, up from the 30 to 40 cents per share it provided last quarter. UnitedHealth said the impact of the business interruption includes revenue and "the cost of maintaining full availability" of Change Healthcare’s affected services.

UnitedHealth shares were up about 3% Tuesday morning.

Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth, offers payment and revenue management tools. More than 15 billion transactions a year, and 1 in 3 patient records pass through its system, 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 shut down the affected system "immediately upon discovery" of the threat, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The disruption caused a severe collapse across the US health care system, as many doctors were temporarily left without a way to fill prescriptions or get paid for their services. Some service providers have taken thousands of dollars from their own savings to stay afloat.

In May, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty announced that the company had paid a $22 million ransom to attackers to prevent them from releasing patient health data. He estimated that the breach could affect a third of all Americans.

UnitedHealth said Tuesday it has reinstated "most" of its Change Healthcare services, according to its earnings release. The company said it has donated more than $9 billion to struggling suppliers, the release said.

Read UnitedHealth’s financial statements here.

Feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at ashley.capoot@nbcuni.com.