The effectiveness of the glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonist in improving cognitive function

Abstract Background Recent evidence suggests that glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonists, commonly used to treat diabetes and obesity (Norgaard, 2022), are neuroprotective (Cheng, 2022), which may result in an improvement in cognitive function (Norgaard, 2022). The aim of this review is to determine the potential effectiveness of glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonist therapy at improving cognitive function in a human population in literature published thus far. Method Searches for applicable studies were conducted on PubMed, Cochrane library, Google scholar, CINAHL and Clinical Trials.gov. Studies which compare the efficacy of the glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonist to placebo were included. The main outcome is the change in cognitive function assessed via cognitive testing. Data was expressed as mean difference/hazard ratio and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Quality assessment was conducted with the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2). Heterogeneity was assessed with the chi‐squared test and I 2 statistic. The study was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022366254). Result A total of n = 11,424 studies were identified for this review. After the removal of duplicates and the application of eligibility criteria, five studies (comprising n = 8,950 individuals) were included. Risk of bias across the included studies was low. Only one study reported an improvement in cognitive function associated with glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonists. The results of the meta‐analysis inclusive of the five studies are inconclusive. Conclusion Overall, four of the five included studies were hampered by short drug duration times and small population sizes, which may have impacted the final result and conclusion. There is an urgent need for therapies to improve cognitive function, due to the rapid rise in cognitive decline worldwide. Glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonists may fill this need, although further research is warranted. Cheng. (2022). The Role of Glucagon‐Like Peptide‐1 Receptor Agonists (GLP‐1 RA) in Diabetes‐Related Neurodegenerative Diseases. Drug Des Devel Ther , 16: 665‐684. Norgaard. (2022). Treatment with glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and incidence of dementia: Data from pooled double‐blind randomized controlled trials and nationwide disease and prescription registers. Alzheimers Dement (N.Y) , 8(1):e12268.