Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40952016›Full record

Observational studyAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2025

GLP-1RA comparative effectiveness against dementia onset relative to other antidiabetic medications in a large, multi-site cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Nerissa Nance, Paola Gilsanz, Andrew J Karter, Holly Finertie, Julie A Schmittdiel, JaeJin An, Alyce S Adams, Caryn Oshiro, Andrea E Cassidy-Bushrow, Sarah Krahe-Dombrowski and 5 more

Abstract readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Nerissa NanceKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8407-2364
Paola GilsanzKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.
Andrew J KarterKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.
Holly FinertieKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.
Julie A SchmittdielKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.
JaeJin AnKaiser Permanente Southern California Research and Evaluation, Pasadena, California, USA.
Alyce S AdamsStanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Caryn OshiroKaiser Permanente Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA.
Andrea E Cassidy-BushrowDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Sarah Krahe-DombrowskiGeisinger Research, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA.
Maher YassinKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.
Sharon LinKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.
Keanu IzadianKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.
Patrick J O'ConnorHealthPartners Institute, Bloomington, Minnesota, USA.
Romain NeugebauerKaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Pleasanton, California, USA.

Funding

Translational Research Core - Health Engagement & Action Translational (HEAT)P30DK092924 · NIDDK · KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI Alyce Sophia Adams, HILARY Kessler SELIGMAN · 2011 to 2026
$9.2M
Glycemic Control and Dementia: The Role of Pharmacotherapy and Vascular ComplicationsR01AG067199 · NIA · KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI GILSANZ, PAOLA · 2020 to 2024
$1.9M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG067199NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK092924Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) DB-2020C2-20318
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTo address gaps in current research, this study aims to compare the impact of exposure to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) versus sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4i), and sulfonylureas (SU) on reducing the risk of dementia, using a rigorous targeted learning causal inference approach.

methodsUsing clinical and claims data from four diverse US health-care systems, we emulated three two-arm trials contrasting sustained treatment with GLP-1RA versus SGLT2i, DPP4i, and SU on dementia diagnosis. We included diabetes patients aged ≥ 60 years who initiated medication between 2014 and 2022. We estimated cumulative risk differences at 2.5 years.

resultsIn Cohort 1, there was no evidence of differential dementia risk between sustained exposure to GLP1-RA versus SGLT2i (adjusted risk difference [aRD] -0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.004, 0.001). In Cohorts 2 and 3, GLP-1RA was associated with reduced risk of dementia diagnosis compared to DPP4i and SU, respectively (aRD -0.013, 95% CI -0.017, -0.009; aRD -0.016, 95% CI -0.018, -0.015). DISCUSSION: Rigorous causal inference analysis suggests that sustained exposure to GLP-1RA may modestly reduce risk of dementia, compared to DPP4i or SU exposure-but not compared to SGLT2i. HIGHLIGHTS: We researched the comparative effects of diabetes medications on dementia. We studied a large, diverse observational cohort of patients with diabetes in the United States. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may modestly reduce risk of dementia compared to dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor or sulfonylurea exposure. GLP-1RAs do not show evidence of dementia risk reduction compared to sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. Physicians may consider this when making prescription decisions with patients.

Indexed as

DementiaDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV InhibitorsGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsHypoglycemic AgentsSodium-Glucose Transporter 2 InhibitorsAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSulfonylurea CompoundsUnited StatesDipeptidyl-Peptidase IV InhibitorsGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsHypoglycemic AgentsSodium-Glucose Transporter 2 InhibitorsSulfonylurea Compoundscausal inferencediabetesdiabetes medicationsglucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonistlongitudinal datatargeted learning

Identifiers

PMID40952016
PMCPMC12434700

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.