Exenatide Does Not Impact Brain Blood Flow in Elderly

Published on July 25, 2022

In a recent study, researchers investigated whether a single dose of exenatide, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, would affect blood flow in the middle cerebral artery and peripheral vessels of elderly healthy volunteers. The study found that exenatide had no immediate effect on blood flow velocity or peripheral vessel function compared to a placebo. This suggests that a single dose of exenatide does not alter blood flow in the brain or peripheral vessels of elderly individuals without diabetes. The results provide valuable information about the safety and effects of exenatide in this population and open up new avenues for further research into potential neuroprotective mechanisms. For individuals interested in learning more about this study, the full article can be accessed through the provided link.

Background and aimsGlucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and recent studies indicate that they may be cardio- and neuroprotective. The safety and effect of a single dose of exenatide, a short-acting GLP-1RA, on cerebral and peripheral arterial function remain unknown.MethodsIn this randomized, double-blind pilot trial, we assigned elderly healthy volunteers without diabetes and no previous history of stroke to receive a single dose of subcutaneous exenatide (5 μg) or placebo. Primary outcome was immediate changes over time in blood flow velocity of the middle cerebral arteries (VMCA) assessed by repeated transcranial Doppler measurements. Secondary outcomes were changes in peripheral arterial function with finger plethysmography, ankle-brachial index (ABI), and inflammatory- and endothelial-specific biomarkers.ResultsHealthy volunteers (13 women and 17 men) were included: (mean ± standard deviation) age: 62 ± 8 years; body weight: 79.6 ± 12.7 kg; VMCA: 65.3 ± 10.7 cm/s; fasting plasma glucose: 5.5 ± 0.5 mmol/L; HbA1c: 33.9 ± 4.1 mmol/mol (5.3 ± 0.38%). No differences between exenatide and placebo group were seen regarding VMCA (p = 0.058), systolic ABI (p = 0.71), plethysmography (p = 0.45), tumor necrosis factor (p = 0.33), interleukin-6 (p = 0.11), interleukin-1β (p = 0.34), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (p = 0.73), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (p = 0.74), or E-selectin (p = 0.31). No severe adverse events were observed.ConclusionA single dose of exenatide did not change cerebral blood flow velocity or peripheral vessel function in elderly healthy volunteers. The medication was safe to use in persons without diabetes allowing us to investigate this drug further in search of the neuroprotective mechanisms.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier NCT02838589.

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