Another drug, again similar to Ozempic, has also shown that it can slow down the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms: effects that suggest how these medicines are effective not only against diabetes and obesity, but can soon become valid products also for preventing cardiovascular diseases and treat neurodegenerative ones.
A diabetes drug, among those that promote weight loss such as Ozempic (semaglutide), has been shown to be effective also in protecting the heart. And another drug, again similar to Ozempic, has proven effective in slowing the progression of Parkinson’s, the devastating neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure. In both cases, these are in fact medicines belonging to the class of GLP-1 receptor agonists (glucagon-like peptide-1), widely used for the treatment of diabetes and increasingly used by stars to lose weight: in addition to their role well established in stimulating the production of insulin and inhibiting that of glucagon, helping to lower blood sugar levels and control the feeling of satiety, these two drugs have also produced significant results in reducing risk of cardiovascular events and in the slowdown of progression of Parkinson’s symptoms.
Two separate studies, the first conducted in Italy by researchers at UniCamillus in Rome, and the other coordinated by the French clinical research team for Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders (NS-Park–F-CRIN), document the effects of these two drugs – the tirzepatide and the lixisenatide – , confirming how anti-diabetics can soon become effective solutions not only for lowering blood sugar and promoting weight loss, but also for preventing cardiovascular diseases and treating neurodegenerative diseases.
The Italian study on the anti-diabetes tirzepatide: it also protects the heart
The anti-diabetes drug tirzepatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which recently became the second drug (after semaglutide) to be approved in the United States and the United Kingdom as a weight loss product, has been shown to also protect the heart, preventing serious cardiovascular events, such as heart failure.
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The effects of the drug were examined by a three-step approachdetailed in a research article just published in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetologywhich included a meta-analysis on the cardiovascular effects of tirzepatide, evaluating cardiac protective effects in vitro on human cardiac cells and a bioformatic analysis to confirm the mechanism of action.
The results of the study showed that tirzepatide has beneficial effects on heart cells, protecting them from hypertrophy, fibrosis and cell death. “This suggests that tirzepatide may reduce the risk of diabetes-related heart damage, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic option for clinical trials in the management of heart failure” explain the Italian researchers, coordinated by Professor Giuseppe Paolisso, professor at the UniCamillus University of Rome and professor of Internal Medicine at the Vanvitelli University of Naples.
Compared to other anti-diabetics such as semaglutide, which binds and activates only the GLP-1 receptor, these benefits may derive mainly from the fact that tirzepatide targets also another receptor, that of the hormone GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide). GIP receptors, more expressed than GLP-1 receptors in human cardiac cells, play a major role in the ventricular myocardium, which would strengthen the hypothesis of their direct involvement in the modulation of cardiac function.
“All in all – the scholars concluded – these data suggest that the positive cardiac effects of tirzepatide may derive mainly from the GIP component and that, despite the dual activity on GIP and GLP-1 receptors, the favorable efficacy of this agent can be attributed to the greater affinity of tirzepatide towards the GIP receptor”.
The French study on lixisenatide: slows the progression of Parkinson’s
Also there lixisenatideanother drug used to treat diabetes, which belongs to the same family as successful slimming products, has been shown to be a valid medicine not only as an anti-diabetic but also effective in slow the progression of Parkinson’s symptomssuch as tremors, slowed movements, speech disorders, and balance problems.
In a new study, published in New England Journal of Medicinelixisenatide has indeed proven to reduce motor symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease, including problems in walking, standing up and moving the hands, in patients who, in addition to taking the usual medications for Parkinson’s, were treated with the drug for a year, compared to patients who took the drugs for Parkinson’s Parkinson’s and a placebo.
“This is the first time we have clear results demonstrating an impact of lixisenatide on the progression of the symptoms of the diseasewhich can be explained by a neuroprotective action” indicate the researchers, coordinated by Professor Olivier Rascol, neurologist at the University of Toulouse.
However, the drug has also shown gastrointestinal effects, such as nausea, vomiting and reflux, as well as producing weight loss in some patients, making further studies necessary to determine the effects and safety of lixisenatide in people with Parkinson’s disease.