Weight loss drugs like Ozempic may prevent dementia: study
A new study from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine suggests that GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy could lower your risk of developing dementia.
That's a potential game changer for the more than 6 million Americans diagnosed each year and the 100,000 who die from the memory-robbing disease annually.
The risk of developing dementia increases with age.
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The research team analyzed three years of health records from 1.7 million Americans with type 2 diabetes across the US.
The findings were striking: patients taking semaglutide — the key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — had a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer's-related dementia than those on other diabetes medications.
The benefit was especially strong among women and older adults.
'There is no cure or effective treatment for dementia, so this new study provides real-world evidence for its potential impact on preventing or slowing dementia development among at-high risk populations,' said Dr. Rong Xu, lead author and professor of biomedical informatics.
Researchers haven't nailed down exactly what causes dementia — but they do know what raises your risk.
A 2024 Lancet Commission report found that up to 45% of dementia cases could be prevented by tackling key lifestyle factors like obesity, physical inactivity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, alcohol use and even hearing loss.
Semaglutide may help protect against dementia by reducing inflammation in the brain.
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Semaglutide may hit several of those targets at once.
The drug not only helps with weight loss, but also improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar, protects blood vessels and reduces inflammation in the brain — all key players in dementia risk.
Next up, scientists want to see if newer GLP-1 drugs like tirzepatide — the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro — can also have a protective effect against dementia. They also plan to track potential long-term side effects.
'Our results indicate that research into semaglutide's use for dementia prevention will need to be further investigated through randomized clinical trials,' Xu said.
While scientists hunt for a cure, there are still ways to get ahead of dementia.
The CDC recommends staying active, keeping your blood pressure in check, treating hearing loss, and cutting back on alcohol and cigarettes to help keep your brain sharp.
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Fact Check: Ozempic, other weight-loss drug makers face lawsuits. Here's what we know
Claim: Pharmaceutical companies behind weight loss and diabetes medication such as Ozempic are facing a lawsuit that could potentially pay out more than $2 billion. Rating: What's True: There is multidistrict litigation, or an MDL, in progress against pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Co. from parties allegedly suffering side effects caused by the active ingredient in Ozempic and other similar drugs used for type 2 diabetes and weight loss. What's Undetermined: There is no public evidence that the potential payout could be more than $2 billion. Reports featuring these numbers cite unnamed analysts but offer no documentation arriving at this number. A number of lawsuits are continuing to be filed under the MDL, which will mean the ultimate payout amount is in flux until all cases are settled. As of August 2025, there were more than 2,600 cases, with the number expected to grow. A rumor that pharmaceutical companies behind popular weight-loss and diabetes medications like Ozempic faced lawsuits totaling more than $2 billion circulated online in August 2025. The claim was spread by users across social media platforms such as Facebook (archived) and X (archived, archived), with some sharing a June 2025 advisory from the World Health Organization that declared some of these medications could lead to a condition that is the "leading cause of vision loss in adults and the second most common optic neuropathy after glaucoma." Though the alleged lawsuit included a variety of drugs that serve similar purposes, Ozempic was the most widely mentioned due its popularity. According to its website, "Ozempic is a medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes that, along with diet and exercise, may improve blood sugar. While not for weight loss, Ozempic may help you lose some weight." The drug was first approved for use by the Federal Drug Administration in 2017. Claims of lawsuits against Ozempic and similar drugs are indeed true. However, there is no publicly available evidence regarding the potential settlement amounts. Therefore, we have rated this claim as mostly true until we can determine the amount of money involved. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, as well as Eli Lilly and Co., which manufactures Trulicity and Mounjaro, faced several personal-injury lawsuits based on alleged side effects caused by GLP-1 agonists. GLP-1 agonists are drugs "used to treat type 2 diabetes and support weight loss by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone," according to The Novo Nordisk products use a GLP-1 called semaglutide (used in Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus) while the Eli Lilly drugs use GLP-1s called dulaglutide and tirzepatide (used in Trulicity and Mounjaro, respectively). Because of their similarities, the lawsuits were collected under a multidistrict litigation. MDLs are commonly used for complex cases with similar complaints from a multitude of claimants, such as claims related to health issues caused by asbestos products. According to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, whose Judge Karen Spencer Marston is overseeing the Ozempic case, an MDL is "litigation comprised of multiple civil cases involving one or more common questions of fact, but the cases are pending in different districts. Such actions may be transferred to any single district for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings." Very basically, this means a judge can make a single ruling that can then apply to other cases included in the MDL. What the Ozempic MDL entails The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, the body that decides whether cases should be reclassified in such a manner, said of its decision to classify the case as an MDL: Each lawsuit contains substantially similar allegations about GLP-1 RAs (specifically, Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, and/or Mounjaro) and their alleged propensity to cause gastrointestinal injuries … [and] [a]ll actions share common issues of fact regarding whether defendants knew or should have known that their GLP-1 RA products can cause gastroparesis and other gastrointestinal injuries, whether defendants adequately warned plaintiffs or their prescribing physicians about the alleged dangers of these products, and whether defendants made false, misleading, or incomplete representations regarding the safety of these products. According to the website Lawsuit Tracker, as of August 2025 the GLP-1 multidistrict litigation, also referred to as MDL 3094, was in its early stages, with people still filing lawsuits. This is likely the reason Google searches for "Ozempic lawsuit" primarily return results from personal-injury law firms making the case known to potential clients, hoping to attract others to join the lawsuit and ultimately earn the firms a payout. For instance, in addition to gastrointestinal injuries, one personal injury law firm pointed out a recent study that also linked "a serious eye injury known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy," known as NAION, to the drug. The same law firm also posted: You may qualify to file a claim if: -You were prescribed Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, or Mounjaro -You experienced gastroparesis, ileus, gallbladder disease, vision loss, or other serious complications -You have medical records confirming diagnosis and treatment -You have not signed a liability waiver or accepted prior compensation Even if your symptoms resolved, you may still be eligible based on pain, suffering, and medical costs incurred. What the companies said The official Ozempic website listed a variety of possible side effects from the medication, including "changes in vision," "severe stomach problems" and "dehydration leading to kidney problems," while adding, "the most common side effects of Ozempic may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain, and constipation." A Novo Nordisk spokesperson told Snopes via email: Semaglutide has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real-world-evidence studies and has cumulatively over 33 million patient years of exposure. Semaglutide's efficacy and safety have been extensively demonstrated in people with obesity/overweight with robust evidence for improving health outcomes. Semaglutide has demonstrated improvements in CV death, stroke and myocardial infarction. Novo Nordisk believes that the allegations in the lawsuits are without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend against these claims. Patient safety is our top priority at Novo Nordisk, and we work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines. Novo Nordisk remains confident in the benefit-risk profile of our GLP-1 medicines, when used consistent with their indications and product labeling. A spokesperson for Eli Lilly old Snopes via email, "This week, the MDL Court issued an opinion excluding plaintiffs' experts. Lilly appreciates the Court's careful consideration of threshold issues related to the diagnosis of gastroparesis and the need for reliable science to support plaintiffs' claims. We will continue to vigorously defend against these lawsuits." Indeed, in a memorandum issued Aug. 15, 2025, the court ruled that two experts cited by the plaintiffs were to be excluded from the proceedings. However, the court also agreed to the plaintiff's motion to supplement, which means additional evidence may be added in support of the claimants. The memorandum noted: The Court recognizes that given this ruling, some Plaintiffs in this MDL will be unable to prove that they suffered from gastroparesis because their diagnosis was not based on a properly performed gastric emptying study. Although unfortunate, it would be perhaps more unjust to hold Defendants potentially liable for damages based on an unreliable diagnosis. For that reason, courts in other cases have rejected similar claims where the plaintiffs were unable to prove the cause of their illness because their treating physician failed to perform a necessary test at the time of diagnosis. The memorandum also noted these decisions "will have relatively little effect on the vast majority of the cases in this MDL." Billions at stake? As for the amount of damages at stake in the litigation, the $2 billion figure appeared to originate with the law firm of Melinda J. Helbock, whose website stated "analysts project total liability could exceed $2 billion as new claims surge." The website did not give more information about the analysts or how they arrived at that number. However, there is no public evidence that this number is accurate. When asked about the potential amount at stake in the MDL, a law clerk for presiding U.S. District Judge Karen Marston told Snopes in an email, "It is Judge Marston's policy not to comment on pending cases, whether it be specific inquiries or more general inquiries." It is unlikely an accurate figure will be available until the MDL is concluded, which could potentially take years. In conclusion, while the lawsuit brought against Ozempic and similar drugs is authentic, there is no evidence of what the potential windfall could be should the plaintiffs succeed. : : GLUCAGON-LIKE PEPTIDE-1 RECEPTOR AGONISTS (GLP-1 RAS) PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION . United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, 2 Feb. 2024, A.P.C, Melinda Helbock, and The Law Office of Melinda J. Helbock. "Ozempic Lawsuits Facing a $2 Billion Problem and Growing." Melinda J. Helbock, A.P.C. San Diego, 18 Aug. 2025, DeSilver, Drew. "As Obesity Rates Rise in the U.S. and Worldwide, New Weight-Loss Drugs Surge in Popularity." Pew Research Center, 21 Mar. 2024, Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAS) Products Liability Litigation - Memorandum . United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 15 Aug. 2025. GovInfo. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. MDL 875 In Re: Asbestos Products Liability Litigation (No. VI) | Eastern District of Pennsylvania | United States District Court. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. MDL 3094 In Re: Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAS) Products Liability Litigation | Eastern District of Pennsylvania | United States District Court. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. MDL3094 | Eastern District of Pennsylvania | United States District Court. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. "Ozempic Lawsuit – August 2025 Update." Lawsuit Tracker, 7 Aug. 2025, Ozempic (Semaglutide) Injection. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. PRAC Concludes Eye Condition NAION Is a Very Rare Side Effect of Semaglutide Medicines Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy | European Medicines Agency (EMA). 6 Jun. 2025, The Use of Semaglutide Medicines and Risk of Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION). Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. What Is Ozempic®? | Ozempic® (Semaglutide) Injection. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. WHO Issues Warning on Falsified Medicines Used for Diabetes Treatment and Weight Loss. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025. Solve the daily Crossword
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Mosquito-borne illnesses confirmed in Florida and Palm Beach County so far this year The latest report from the Florida Department of Health has confirmed the following cases of mosquito-borne illnesses in the state between Jan. 1 through Aug. 2: West Nile Virus: 5 asymptomatic blood donors Escambia: 5 Chikungunya: 4 cases in those with travel history Broward: 2 Lake: 1 Miami-Dade: 1 Dengue: 122 cases in those with travel history; 7 cases in non-Florida residents Bay: 1 Brevard: 2 Broward: 10 Clay: 1 Collier: 2 Duval: 3 Escambia: 1 Hillsborough: 6 Lake: 3 Lee: 4 Manatee: 1 Marion: 1 Miami-Dade: 63 Okeechobee: 3 Orange: 6 Osceola: 2 Palm Beach; 5 Pasco: 1 Pinellas: 3 Polk: 1 St. Johns: 1 St. Lucie: 1 Volusia: 1 Denque acquired in Florida: 8 cases Brevard: 6 Miami-Dade: 2 Malaria: 28 cases in those with travel history; 9 in non-Florida residents Alachua: 1 Brevard: 1 Broward: 3 Collier: 1 Duval: 1 Hillsborough: 1 Lake: 1 Marion: 2 Miami-Dade: 4 Nassau: 2 Orange: 3 Palm Beach: 3 Polk: 2 St. Lucie: 2 Volusia: 1 What mosquito-borne diseases are tracked in Florida? The Florida Department of Health tracks travel- and locally acquired cases of the followed mosquito-borne diseases: West Nile fever and West Nile encephalitis Eastern equine encephalitis virus St. Louis encephalitis virus Dengue virus Chikungunya virus Zika virus California encephalitis group viruses Malaria Florida has more than 80 types of mosquitoes. Here are 5 'most wanted' The Florida Department of Health said there are more than 80 different species of mosquitoes in Florida, compared to about 3,500 species in the world. While not all of them cause disease, here are five the agency lists as "Florida's most wanted": Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito Larvae are found in water-holding objects found around the home and yard, such as flower vases, tires, toys, bottles, conch shells, cans, refrigerator drain pans, barrels, bromeliad plants, and other containers. Can be found in all of Florida except Panhandle counties. Diseases: Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito Larvae found in water-holding objects found around the home and yard, such as flower vases, tires, toys, bottles, cans, barrels, tree holes, bromeliad plants, and other containers. Found in all Florida counties. Diseases: Dngue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Culex quinquefasciatus, southern house mosquito Larvae are found in a variety of aquatic habitats, especially those with high organic content, including catch basins, ditches, containers, dairy lagoons, and others. Found in all Florida counties and are abundant throughout the state. Diseases: Dog heartworm, St. Louis encephalitis virus, West Nile virus. Aedes taeniorhynchus, Black salt marsh mosquito Larvae are found in salt marshes. Found in all Florida counties and are strong fliers that are major pests during summer and early fall. Disease: Dog heartworm. Psorophora ciliata, Gallinipper Larvae are found in ditches, containers, grassy pools, furrows of citrus groves, pasture areas. 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Here are a few ideas: Reduce mosquito habitats 'This includes regularly emptying plant saucers, bird baths, pet water bowls and bromeliads, as well as any other water-holding plants. Refreshing bird baths and pet bowls with clean water several times a week and flushing bromeliad cups with a hose can help prevent larvae from developing,' said Jennifer Pelham, UF/IFAS urban horticulture agent and director of UF/IFAS Extension Martin County. Use plants in your landscape to attract mosquito predators "For dragonflies, which are highly effective mosquito hunters, they are drawn to native aquatic plants. For birds, include shrubs and trees that supply food, shelter and nesting areas,' said Lorna Bravo, urban horticulture agent with UF/IFAS Extension Broward County. Use fish to control larvae For water features that are permanent, such as ornamental ponds, UF/IFAS recommends adding mosquito-eating fish like Gambusia to naturally control larvae. Cover rain barrels with screens and refresh pet water bowls daily to prevent mosquito access. Encourage mosquito predators in your yard, including fish, dragonflies, fronts, birds and bats. What are the best mosquito repellents to use? According to the CDC, repellents with the following active ingredients "typically provide reasonably long-lasting protection": DEET Picaridin Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or PMD "Products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus specifies that they should not to be used on children under the age of 3." IR3535 2-undecanone "Certain products containing permethrin are recommended for use on clothing, shoes, bed nets, and camping gear, and are registered with EPA for this use." Items that don't work to repel mosquitoes "There are many gimmicks for sale that do not work, so be an educated consumer and don't waste your money on impulse buys," the Florida Department of Health said. Some items that are not effective for reducing mosquitoes include: Mosquito plants Bug zappers Consumption of garlic, vitamin B, and bananas Repellent bracelets and wristbands Ultrasonic devices and cell phone apps Dragonfly mimics This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alligators aren't deadliest animal, mosquitos are. 80 types in Florida Solve the daily Crossword
