Metabolic Mind

New Alzheimer’s Trial Reveals Surprising Insight on Brain Health

Dec 2, 2025
A recent trial by Novo Nordisk revealed that GLP-1 medications failed to significantly slow Alzheimer’s progression. Dr. Bret Scher discusses why these metabolic fixes may not be enough when it comes to neuronal damage. He highlights ketones as a promising alternative brain fuel and shares early research showing ketogenic therapy's potential benefits for cognition. The discussion emphasizes the need for more funding for nutritional therapies and a combined approach focusing on brain energy support and inflammation reduction.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Observational Findings Need Randomized Proof

  • Observational links between semaglutide and lower Alzheimer’s risk looked promising but weren't proof.
  • Bret Scher emphasizes that randomized trials are required to confirm causation beyond correlations.
INSIGHT

GLP-1 Failed To Slow Alzheimer’s In Phase 3

  • Novo Nordisk's phase 3 trial found oral semaglutide failed to slow early Alzheimer's progression.
  • Scher suggests medication-driven metabolic improvements may not fix deeper neuronal energy problems.
INSIGHT

Alzheimer’s Involves Brain Energy Failure

  • Alzheimer's involves impaired neuronal glucose uptake and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to brain energy failure.
  • Scher highlights that these deeper problems may not be corrected by improving systemic metabolism alone.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app