Latest news with #TriNetX
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Weight loss drugs may lower risk of dementia, stroke: Study
Some popular weight loss drugs may lower the risk of dementia and stroke for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research published in JAMA Network suggests. Patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide medications — active ingredients in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — showed a lower risk of developing certain diseases compared to those taking other, similar medications. Those include neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's, and cerebrovascular disease, which manifests in strokes, brain aneurysms and more. Researchers analyzed the health developments over seven years in 60,000 adults aged 40 or older diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as recorded by the TriNetX U.S. network. The patients were all users of semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 anti-diabetes drugs from December 2017 through June 2024. The effects were most prominent among women, patients older than 60 and those with a body mass index of 30 to 40. Researchers acknowledged more clinical trials are needed to corroborate their initial findings, but they maintained the data 'represents one of the most recent clinical database–driven analyses to investigate the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular associations of newer GLP-1RAs' for some patients. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Weight loss drugs may lower risk of dementia, stroke: Study
Some popular weight loss drugs may lower the risk of dementia and stroke for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research published in JAMA Network suggests. Patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide medications — active ingredients in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — showed a lower risk of developing certain diseases compared to those taking other, similar medications. Those include neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's, and cerebrovascular disease, which manifests in strokes, brain aneurysms and more. Researchers analyzed the health developments over seven years in 60,000 adults aged 40 or older diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as recorded by the TriNetX U.S. network. The patients were all users of semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 anti-diabetes drugs from December 2017 through June 2024. The effects were most prominent among women, patients older than 60 and those with a body mass index of 30 to 40. Researchers acknowledged more clinical trials are needed to corroborate their initial findings, but they maintained the data 'represents one of the most recent clinical database–driven analyses to investigate the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular associations of newer GLP-1RAs' for some patients. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Weight loss drugs may lower risk of dementia, stroke: Study
Some popular weight loss drugs may lower the risk of dementia and stroke for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity, new research published in JAMA Network suggests. Patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide medications — active ingredients in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy — showed a lower risk of developing certain diseases compared to those taking other, similar medications. Those include neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's, and cerebrovascular disease, which manifests in strokes, brain aneurysms and more. Researchers analyzed the health developments over seven years in 60,000 adults aged 40 or older diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as recorded by the TriNetX U.S. network. The patients were all users of semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 anti-diabetes drugs from December 2017 through June 2024. The effects were most prominent among women, patients older than 60 and those with a body mass index of 30 to 40. Researchers acknowledged more clinical trials are needed to corroborate their initial findings, but they maintained the data 'represents one of the most recent clinical database–driven analyses to investigate the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular associations of newer GLP-1RAs' for some patients.
Medscape
16-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Does Romosozumab Deserve Its Black Box Warning?
Osteoporosis drug romosozumab showed no increased risk for the development of cardiovascular (CV) events compared with anabolic osteoporosis drugs, contrary to its black box warning, new research found. 'These findings suggest there is no heightened risk for major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with osteoporosis treated with romosozumab compared to the anabolic agents teriparatide or abaloparatide,' the authors reported at ENDO 2025: The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting. 'Further observational data is required to concur with such findings, which may lead to a discontinuation of the black box warning,' they said. Romosozumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting sclerostin, has a unique dual action of anabolic properties (increasing bone formation while reducing resorption and improving bone mineral density while reducing vertebral fracture risk). The drug is injected monthly for 12 months, after which time its anabolic effects decline and patients must transition to other antiresorptive therapies, such as bisphosphonates or denosumab, to maintain gains in bone density. Although the FDA approved romosozumab for osteoporosis management, it has given a black box warning after clinical trials (including the ARCH study) comparing romosozumab with alendronate suggested an increased risk for serious CV events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and CV death. The drug is therefore contraindicated in patients with hypocalcemia and those who have had a myocardial infarction or stroke within the previous year. However, data on those risks has been highly inconsistent, first author Maxim John Levy Barnett, MD, of Jefferson-Einstein Hospital, Philadelphia, told Medscape Medical News . 'Most previous studies on this issue show a nonsignificant trend toward a higher risk but do not reach statistical significance,' he said. Even the ARCH trial 'showed a trend of higher incidence of adverse outcomes, but it was not statistically significant,' he noted. New Findings To further investigate the risks, Barnett and colleagues evaluated data on patients with osteoporosis in the TriNetX database, including 14,760 patients treated with romosozumab and 45,302 treated with either teriparatide or abaloparatide anabolic agents. For the propensity score analysis, patients in the two groups were matched for age, sex, race, glycated hemoglobin, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, and other factors. After matching, the romosozumab group had 14,288 patients compared with 14,362 in the anabolic agent group. Patients had a mean age at baseline of 70.5 years, 94% were women — as the drug is approved in the US for women only — and 71% were White. With a mean follow-up of 5 years (including the 1-year treatment with romosozumab), there was a nonsignificant trend toward a reduced risk for CV incidents among those treated with romosozumab (relative risk [RR], 0.601; P = .0692). The romosozumab group also had significantly lower ischemic heart disease rates than the anabolic agent group (RR, 0.848; P = .0017). In addition, those receiving romosozumab had a lower risk of acute myocardial infarction (RR, 0.654; P < .0001). Likewise, acute heart failure, either systolic or diastolic, was also significantly lower in the romosozumab group (RR, 0.664; P = .0029). 'After propensity-score matching, there was still a significant reduction [with romosozumab], which was a surprise,' Barnett said. 'Three out of the 4 outcomes actually showed a significant decrease in risk with romosozumab.' 'To the best of my knowledge, similar trends have not been noted in other studies,' he said, adding that there have been no significant changes to romosozumab's treatment regimen or other factors that might explain differences in risk since the issuance of the black box warning. 'It is important to note that this was not the primary objective of the noninferiority study, and it was not powered for this endpoint,' Barnett said. The findings nevertheless add to evidence from others showing results that call into question the concerns behind the black box warning. 'There is no substantial evidence for cardiovascular risk and this medication; nonetheless, the black box warning is present,' Barnett said. Commenting on the study, Tiffany Kim, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, who co-moderated the session, agreed that 'these are definitely interesting findings that add to growing data that romosozumab may not be associated with increased cardiovascular risk.' She noted that, as intended, 'any black box warning has a big effect on how clinicians consider and talk to a patient about the risks of a medication.' 'From a medico-legal perspective, I always inform my patient so they aren't surprised if they read this later, and so that I can document that they accept the benefits outweigh the risk for their individual situation.' 'This study adds to the reassuring literature that romosozumab may not be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease,' Kim said. 'In my clinical practice, I only consider anabolic therapy for my patients with severe osteoporosis at high fracture risk who really need treatment, so having more data about the CV risk helps with my clinical decision-making and with discussions with my patients about the risks and benefits of this drug.' In terms of caveats, Kim noted that 'the study did a good job of matching for medical comorbidities, but there may be other factors that cause a clinician to prescribe the drugs that are associated with cardiovascular disease.' 'This study is a helpful addition to the literature, but it's hard to be definitive in an observational study,' she added.
Fox News
14-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Popular back pain medication linked to brain health risks in some patients
A painkiller used for lower back pain could be linked to a higher risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to new research. The study, published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, found that groups previously considered too young to develop the conditions faced more than twice the risk when taking gabapentin. "Our findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within 10 years," the research team stated in a press release. The drug has become increasingly popular for treating chronic pain, especially neuropathic (nerve) pain, the researchers noted in a press release. Gabapentin — which is also used to control seizures, according to Cleveland Clinic — has relatively low addictive potential compared to traditional opioids. Recent research has sparked new concerns over its side effects, including a possible association with neurodegeneration. Previous findings could not confirm a specific link, especially regarding whether certain age groups are more vulnerable. In the latest study, researchers collected data from TriNetX, a health research network containing electronic health records from 68 healthcare organizations across the U.S. Examining anonymous records of adult patients, the team looked at groups who had been prescribed gabapentin for chronic lower back pain between 2004 and 2024 and compared them to people who hadn't received the drug. There were a total of 26,414 individuals in each group. The researchers accounted for factors like demographics, co-existing conditions and the use of other pain-relieving drugs. Patients who had received six or more gabapentin prescriptions were 29% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and 85% more likely to be diagnosed with MCI within 10 years of their initial pain diagnosis, the study found. Looking at specific age groups, people between 18 and 64 years old who received the drug were more than twice as likely to develop either condition than those who hadn't been prescribed gabapentin. While there was no heightened risk among those aged 18 to 34 who were prescribed the drug, the risk of dementia more than doubled (and the risk of MCI more than tripled) among 35- to 49-year-olds. Researchers observed a similar pattern among 50- to 64-year-olds. Risks rose with prescription frequency: Patients with 12 or more prescriptions were 40% more likely to develop dementia and 65% more likely to develop MCI than those who were prescribed gabapentin between three and 11 times. "Our findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within 10 years." The study did have some limitations. As this was an observational study, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, the researchers noted. For more Health articles, visit They also acknowledged that because the study was retrospective, they couldn't account for dose or length of gabapentin use. The results "support the need for close monitoring of adult patients prescribed gabapentin to assess for potential cognitive decline," the researchers added.
