Possibility has been raised that Wegovy, used to treat diabetes and obesity, may also play a role in protecting brain health.

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, has been shown to significantly lower the risk of seizures, an abnormal condition of brain nerve cells that occurs in adults.

A joint research team—consisting of Professor Chang Yoon-hyuk and Professor Lee Soon-tae of the Department of Neurology and the National Strategic Technology Specialized Research Institute at Seoul National University Hospital, along with Professor Eun Yong of the Department of Medicine at Columbia University in the United States—analyzed the association between semaglutide administration and adult-onset seizures.

The research team released the findings today (July 23).

Adult-onset seizure refers to a seizure that occurs for the first time after the age of 18.

New-onset seizures in middle-aged and older adults can be associated with acquired brain injuries such as strokes, neurodegenerative diseases, and traumatic brain injuries, serving as an important indicator of brain health.

Currently, however, management is limited to suppressing recurrence after a seizure occurs, making it difficult to prevent the seizure itself.

This study was conducted on 18,243 type 2 diabetes patients registered in the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) database.

The study participants were prescribed either semaglutide, other glucose-lowering drugs, or SGLT2 inhibitors, and their average age was between 60 and 64 years.

The research team divided and analyzed them into a comparison group of semaglutide versus other glucose-lowering drugs, and a comparison group of semaglutide versus SGLT2 inhibitors.

Semaglutide, glucose-lowering drugs, and SGLT2 inhibitors are all medications used to treat diabetes.

As a result of the analysis, the new semaglutide administration group had an approximately 56% lower risk of developing adult-onset seizures compared to the group administered other glucose-lowering drugs.

In the analysis compared with SGLT2 inhibitors, the seizure risk in the semaglutide administration group was also about 52% lower.

The research team estimated that these results occurred due to semaglutide's unique pharmacological characteristics of staying in the body for a long time and partially reaching inside the brain.

They also emphasized that the study is meaningful in suggesting the potential utility of semaglutide in the field of adult-onset seizures, where preventive strategies are limited.

Professor Chang Yoon-hyuk stated, "This study views adult-onset seizures newly from the perspective of brain health in middle age." He added, "However, as this is an observational study, it is necessary to verify actual preventive effects and clinical applicability through future long-term follow-up studies and randomized clinical trials."

The research results were published in a recent issue of Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.