Evaluating GLP-1 receptor agonists versus metformin as first-line therapy for reducing dementia risk in type 2 diabetes.

Abstract

Introduction: No direct comparisons have evaluated glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) versus metformin as first-line antidiabetic therapy for preventing dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to assess the comparative effectiveness of GLP-1 RAs and metformin in reducing dementia risk.

Research design and methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from a global health research network between 2004 and 2024. Patients with T2DM initiating GLP-1 RAs or metformin as first-line monotherapy were included. Propensity score matching was employed to balance baseline characteristics. Dementia incidence was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, with sensitivity analyses to confirm robustness.

Results: Among 87,229 matched patients per cohort, GLP-1 RA use was associated with a significantly lower risk of overall dementia (adjusted HR (AHR) 0.90; 95% CI 0.85 to 0.95), Alzheimer's disease (AD) (AHR 0.88; 95% CI 0.83 to 0.94), and non-vascular dementias (non-VaDs) (AHR 0.75; 95% CI 0.70 to 0.81) compared with metformin. No significant difference was observed for VaD. Subgroup analyses showed consistent benefit across age and sex, with the strongest effect among older adults and females.

Conclusions: GLP-1 RAs were more effective than metformin in reducing the risk of dementia-especially AD and non-vascular types-highlighting their potential as a preferred first-line treatment in T2DM. Further randomized trials are warranted to validate these findings.