Published 2 days ago at an international conference of nerve specialists:
TLDR: There's growing evidence GLP/GIPs (Tirz/Reta) protect and *regenerate* damaged nerves, throughout the body, including those responsible for causing cognitive decline, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
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What we do know about medications that work on the GIP and the GLP-1 receptors, particularly the GIP receptors, is that they affect neurons," said Russell.
He added that there is also the suggestion that these medications may help regenerate hippocampal neurons.
In addition, "there's evidence for drugs that affect the GIP receptor that they may be protective in animal models of parkinsonism or Alzheimer's disease. So, in other words, there's this idea that this isn't just a diabetic drug anymore it potentially, in fact, could affect diseases where there is neuronal degeneration," he added.
Commenting on the research for Medscape Medical News, Arun Krishnan, PhD, professor and head of the Neuromuscular Disease Research Group, University of New South Wales, and a neurologist at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Australia, said that these data are supported by recent work by his own group, which shows GLP-1 receptor agonists are highly effective treatments for improving nerve morphology, clinical symptoms, and nerve conduction parameters.
"This is a very exciting area of research as it suggests that diabetic peripheral neuropathy may be a treatable neuropathy, something that would have been considered unimaginable a decade ago. Given the enormous global burden of this condition, these treatments may have the potential to reduce neuropathy disability worldwide," said Krishnan.
He added that another paper from his team also suggests that these medications have a direct effect on peripheral nerves. "I don't think that it is due to weight loss or diabetic control. We have another manuscript, currently under review, that will support that argument," he added.
The dual GIP–GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide that has shown significant benefits in diabetes and obesity may also help prevent diabetic peripheral neuropathy, new research suggests.
www.medscape.com