Taking Care of Your Brain? Ozempic's New Health Benefits Are Discovered by Scientists

 July 25, 2025, by Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery—No Comments—4 Minutes Read 

GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are frequently prescribed for diabetes and obesity, may provide unexpected neuroprotective effects in both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, according to three recent analyses presented at SNIS. Shutterstock, Inc. Ozempic, a GLP-1 drug, may reduce stroke risk and improve recovery, according to new research. Three new studies were presented at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) to see if GLP-1 inhibitors could help reduce the risk of stroke or limit the severity of brain damage after a stroke. Because they are known to lower blood sugar levels and frequently result in weight loss, these medications are typically prescribed for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Semaglutide (Ozempic) is one drug in this category that is frequently used. First Study: Stroke and Olympic Survival Rates Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison were in charge of the first study, which was titled "The Impact of Semaglutide (Ozempic) on Mortality and Survival in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Nationwide and Institutional Retrospective Analysis." The research team looked at data from two places: their own medical center and a huge global database on health. Their objective was to ascertain whether stroke patients taking Ozempic had better survival outcomes than those not taking the drug. In the global dataset, which included 2,021,704 stroke patients, 43,338 individuals were also using Ozempic.  13,510 stroke cases from the university's own dataset were examined, with 190 Ozempic users among them. When compared to those who were not taking Ozempic, those who were taking the medication had a lower risk of dying from stroke-related causes in both sets of data. In the global dataset, Ozempic users had a 77.5% chance of long-term stroke survival compared to 30.95% of non-Ozempic users, and 5.26 percent of Ozempic users died from their strokes at first, compared to 21.61 percent of non-Ozempic users. Similar findings were seen in the university cohort, with stroke deaths occurring in 5.26 percent of Ozempic users and 26.57 percent of patients who did not use Ozempic. Study 2: Ozempic Use Reduces Stroke Risk The second study, also conducted at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, was titled "Association between Ozempic Use and Stroke Risk: A Nationwide Emergency Department Analysis." In it, researchers looked at a large sample of emergency department records from across the country to find people who had suffered a stroke and were most likely taking Ozempic. They discovered a link between a significantly lower risk of stroke and potential Ozempic users. To get a better understanding of the connection between Ozempic and stroke prevention, the research team recommends expanding the scope of the current study to include direct evaluation of pharmacy data. Results of Study 3: GLP-1 Agonists and Brain Hemorrhage The third study, which was presented by researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, was titled "Impact of GLP-1 Agonists on Stroke, SAH, and ICH: A Propensity-matched Multi-institutional Cohort Study." They looked into whether GLP-1 inhibitors could improve outcomes for patients who had a stroke or brain hemorrhages (both spontaneous and caused by aneurysm rupture). GLP-1 inhibitor use was linked to a reduced risk of cognitive side effects, seizures, future brain hemorrhage, and death following brain hemorrhage and stroke, according to the team's review of patient records from six months, twelve months, and one year, and two years after each stroke. These findings are extremely promising, according to Ahmed Elbayomy, MD, a research fellow and data scientist in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who is also the primary author of two of these studies. "Seeing the potential protection offered by these medications is a fascinating finding, but more research is certainly needed," Matias Costa, MD, a neurosurgeon at the University of Texas Medical Branch and the third study's author, added, "This research could introduce a new perspective to the discussion of preventing and mitigating the devastating effects of stroke and related brain injuries." The 22nd Annual Meeting of the Society for NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) Join the SciTechDaily newsletter to never miss a breakthrough. FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedInEmailReddit

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