GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, Trulicity and Victoza had been related to a barely decrease probability of creating epilepsy in a big group of individuals with kind 2 diabetes.
- GLP-1 medication could also be linked to a decrease likelihood of creating epilepsy in folks with kind 2 diabetes, providing an intriguing early sign for researchers.
- Members who used GLP-1 medicines had been 16% much less more likely to develop epilepsy in contrast with those that took DPP-4 inhibitors.
- Among the many GLP-1 choices studied, semaglutide confirmed the strongest affiliation with decreased epilepsy danger.
- These outcomes come from preliminary analysis and don’t set up trigger and impact; well-designed randomized, managed trials are nonetheless wanted.
- Tirzepatide was not evaluated on this evaluation as a result of it turned out there after the examine interval.
Early proof hyperlinks diabetes medicines to epilepsy danger
A brand new preliminary examine suggests that individuals with diabetes who use glucose-lowering GLP-1 medication might have a decrease likelihood of creating epilepsy. The findings had been printed on December 10, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. GLP-1 medication, formally known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, are generally prescribed for kind 2 diabetes and weight administration. Properly-known model names on this class embody Ozempic (semaglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), and Victoza (liraglutide).
The examine doesn’t show that GLP-1 medication decrease the danger of creating epilepsy; it solely reveals an affiliation.
“Further randomized, managed trials that observe folks over time are wanted to substantiate these findings, however these outcomes are promising, since folks with diabetes are at elevated danger for creating epilepsy later in life,” stated examine creator Edy Kornelius, MD, PhD, of Chung Shan Medical College in Taichung, Taiwan. “Epilepsy can have many bodily, psychological and social penalties, and many individuals don’t reply to the present medicines, so discovering methods to cut back this danger is crucial.”
How the examine in contrast GLP-1 medication with different diabetes therapies
To analyze the potential connection, researchers reviewed knowledge from a big U.S. well being database. They centered on adults with kind 2 diabetes who started therapy with both a GLP-1 drug or a special medicine class generally known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (known as DPP-4 inhibitors or gliptins). Not one of the members had a previous prognosis of epilepsy or seizure. The GLP-1 medication examined had been dulaglutide, liraglutide and semaglutide.
The evaluation included 452,766 folks with a mean age of 61. Roughly half used GLP-1 medicines and the opposite half took DPP-4 inhibitors. Every individual was adopted for a minimum of 5 years. Throughout that point, 1,670 folks within the GLP-1 group developed epilepsy, or 2.35%, in contrast with 1,886 folks within the DPP-4 group, or 2.41%.
Adjusted outcomes present a modest discount in epilepsy danger
Researchers then accounted for different well being circumstances that may affect epilepsy danger, akin to age, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. After these adjustments, they found that people taking GLP-1 drugs were 16% less likely to develop epilepsy than those taking DPP-4 inhibitors.
When the team examined individual medications, semaglutide showed the strongest connection with a reduced epilepsy risk.
Possible neurological effects and drugs not included
“More research is needed, but these findings support the theory that GLP-1 drugs may have neurological benefits beyond controlling blood sugar,” Kornelius said. “It should be noted that these findings do not imply that DPP-4 inhibitors are harmful in any way or that GLP-1 drugs are definitely beneficial for brain health.”
Kornelius also explained that tirzepatide, a dual GLP-1 and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptor agonist, was not included in the study because it became available after the study period began. As a result, the findings may not apply to tirzepatide.
Important limitations and missing information
Along with the limits of its retrospective observational design, the study had several other constraints. Researchers lacked information on additional influences that could shape epilepsy risk, including family medical history, genetic susceptibility or alcohol use. It is also possible that factors such as treatment cost, insurance coverage or how advanced a person’s diabetes was played a role in which medication they were prescribed, which could create differences between the two groups that were difficult to fully measure.
Reference: 10 December 2025, Neurology.
The study was supported by Chung Shan Medical University Hospital.
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