Why Hong Kong scientists think GLP-1 weight-loss drugs can help stroke patients

Chinese University of Hong Kong scientists call GLP-1 ‘superstar pathway in biological, medical and pharmaceutical fields’

Popular weight-loss injections have the potential to help patients recover from severe strokes when used alongside a surgical procedure to remove blood clots in the brain, scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have said.

The scientists said on Thursday that administering a GLP-1 injection before and after a thrombectomy, a blood clot removal procedure, could have neuroprotective effects and improve the neurological recovery of ischemic stroke patients by as much as 20 per cent if they missed the window for an intravenous thrombolysis.

Dr Ko Ho, director of the Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute and an associate professor of CU Medicine, said the team made the discovery while pursuing effective interventions targeting ageing-related biological changes.

“Our team began prioritising the GLP-1 signalling pathway about seven or eight years ago. GLP-1 is a ‘superstar’ pathway in biological, medical and pharmaceutical fields, primarily due to its success in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity,” he said.

GLP-1 drugs, or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, are a class of prescription medications that mimic a natural gut hormone to regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite.

“Clinical data previously indicated that beyond lowering blood sugar and reducing weight, GLP-1 appeared to offer additional benefits that could not be explained at that time … could one of them be anti-ageing? That was the basis of our research,” Ko said.