Medication May Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine have found that when compared to 7 other anti-diabetic drugs, semaglutide, a popular diabetes and weight-loss drug, may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people with type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) molecule that decreases hunger and helps regulate blood sugar, is also the active component in the diabetes and weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.

In a study published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers found that individuals taking semaglutide had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and these results were consistent across different subgroups, including obesity status, gender and age.

The research team analyzed three years of electronic records of nearly 1 million adults with diabetes. The researchers used a statistical approach that mimics a randomized clinical trial. “This new study provides real-world evidence for its impact on Alzheimer’s disease, even though preclinical research has suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation,” said lead study investigator Rong Xu, who directs the medical school’s Center for AI in Drug Discovery and is a member of the Cancer Genomics Epigenomics Program at the Case Cancer Comprehensive Center, Cleveland, Ohio.

Further studies now are planned to see if these types of medications can halt or reverse Alzheimer’s disease. There is an assumption that, as we age, our memory inevitably slips. Misplacing the TV remote on a regular basis, or walking into a room and realizing you can’t remember why you did, are common among older adults. Don’t panic. These minor blips on the memory continuum are vastly different from neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Super-Agers Have Better Memories

In the field of geriatrics, scientists divide older adults into different subgroups and there is one group known affectionately as “super-agers.” These individuals have the same memory and cognitive function as someone 20 or 30 years their junior. Studies show super-agers perform better on word recall tests compared to their peers, and their brains atrophy at a slower rate. Scientists used MRI scans and discovered the regions of the brain considered important to memory, attention, cognitive control, and motivation, appeared thicker in super-agers than in others in the same age group.

It is well established that healthy aging involves having strong social connections. Super-agers tend to maintain strong relationships and active social lives. On the other side, social isolation has been linked to a greater risk of dementia, high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, and depression. A national poll found that feelings of loneliness spiked among adults aged 50-80 in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2023 follow-up survey showed that a sense of seclusion had receded, but it has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Mental health experts say there are ways of establishing or rebuilding bonds by reaching out to old acquaintances and joining new social spaces. It might mean accepting your age and physical limitations by finally agreeing to get hearing aids or use a cane to walk. Too many people see these accessories as a sign of weakness or giving up, but actually the opposite is true. They help remove barriers. If you can hear better, you can engage in more conversations. If you can walk farther, your body will get the benefits of added exercise.

Combating Low Back Pain with Virtual Yoga

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic researchers are reporting that a 12-week therapeutic virtual yoga program for chronic low back pain can be a feasible, safe and effective treatment option. Chronic low back pain is very common and in severe cases it can make it difficult to walk, sleep, work or do daily activities. Clinical guidelines recommend the use of nonpharmacologic treatments first, such as physical therapy or in-person yoga classes. In this study, researchers examined whether virtual yoga classes would also be effective for the treatment of chronic low back pain. The findings showed that participants who practiced virtual yoga classes reported reduced back pain intensity and improved back-related function.

Researchers performed a 24-week randomized clinical trial that involved 140 eligible participants with chronic low back pain. The average age of the participants was 48 and more than 80% were female. The study participants were members of Cleveland Clinic’s Employee Health Plan from Northeast Ohio and Florida. The study was conducted from May 2022 through May 2023.

The research team conducted assessments to determine baseline measures, such as pain intensity score and back-related function. Yoga instructors delivered a 12-week program designed to maximize effectiveness and safety, adapted for virtual delivery, and intended for participants with chronic low back pain. Following the baseline assessment, participants were reassessed at six weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks for low back pain intensity, back-related function, pain-medication use, and sleep quality. At the end of the 12-week virtual yoga program, participants reported six times greater reductions in pain intensity scores and 2.7 times greater improvements in back-related function compared with participants who had not taken the yoga classes.

Further, 34% fewer patients in the yoga group reported using pain medication, and they reported 10 times greater improvement in sleep quality. At 24 weeks, the improvements in pain and back-related function were sustained. “Yoga offers a comprehensive approach to managing low back pain, a condition for which traditional treatments often fall short,” said study investigator Hallie Tankha, a researcher at the Cleveland Clinic. “Now we must work to increase access to this safe and effective treatment.”

John Schieszer is an award-winning national journalist and radio and podcast broadcaster of The Medical Minute. He can be reached at medicalminutes@gmail.com