Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications have become household names for managing type 2 diabetes—and, more recently, weight loss. Now, new research suggests they may be doing something else worth paying attention to: supporting brain health.
A large analysis published December 10 in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that people with type 2 diabetes who took GLP-1 medications were modestly less likely to develop epilepsy than those taking another common class of diabetes drugs.
One word matters here: association. The findings don’t prove that GLP-1 drugs prevent epilepsy, but they do add to growing curiosity around their potential neurological effects.
What the Study Found
To reach these conclusions, researchers reviewed health data from more than 452,000 adults with type 2 diabetes in the States. None of the participants had a prior diagnosis of epilepsy or seizures. Roughly half were treated with GLP-1 medications—including dulaglutide (Trulicity), liraglutide (Victoza) or semaglutide (Ozempic)—while the remaining participants took DPP-4 inhibitors, another widely prescribed diabetes treatment. Participants were followed for at least five years.
Over that period, people taking GLP-1 medications were found to be 16 percent less likely to develop epilepsy than those using DPP-4 inhibitors, even after researchers adjusted for factors such as age, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Among the GLP-1 drugs studied, semaglutide stood out, showing the strongest association with a lower epilepsy risk.
“Additional randomized, controlled trials that follow people over time are needed to confirm these findings, but these results are promising,” said study author Edy Kornelius, MD, PhD, of Chung Shan Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan. People with diabetes already face an elevated risk of developing epilepsy later in life, he added, which makes prevention strategies especially meaningful.
How to Interpret the Findings
Because the analysis was observational, it can’t establish cause and effect. Tirzepatide—the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound—was not included, since it entered the market after the study period began. The researchers also lacked information on factors like family medical history, genetics and alcohol use, all of which can influence epilepsy risk.
Even so, the findings add to a broader conversation about whether GLP-1 medications may do more than manage blood sugar. While experts agree these drugs shouldn’t be used with the goal of reducing epilepsy risk, the study opens the door to more research.
