GLP-1 receptor agonists, traditionally used for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity, have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. However, their potential neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative disorders remain unclear. To evaluate the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on the risk of developing various neurodegenerative conditions in obese patients. This comprehensive retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 5,307,845 obese adult patients across 73 healthcare organizations in 17 countries. Propensity score matching was performed, resulting in 102,935 patients in each cohort. We compared the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders between obese patients receiving GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy and those who were not. Obese patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists showed significantly lower risks of developing Alzheimer's disease (RR = 0.627, 95 %CI = 0.481-0.817), Lewy body dementia (RR = 0.590, 95 %CI = 0.462-0.753), and vascular dementia (RR = 0.438, 95 %CI = 0.327-0.588). The risk reduction for Parkinson's disease was not statistically significant overall (RR = 0.784, 95 %CI = 0.580-1.058) but was significant for semaglutide users (RR = 0.574, 95 %CI = 0.369-0.893). Semaglutide consistently showed the most pronounced protective effects across all disorders. Additionally, a significant reduction in all-cause mortality was observed (HR = 0.525, 95 %CI = 0.493-0.558). This study provides evidence that the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists may extend beyond their known metabolic and cardioprotective benefits to include neuroprotection, associated with a decreased risk of developing various neurodegenerative disorders. These findings suggest the potential for expanding the therapeutic applications of GLP-1 receptor agonists to improve neurocognitive outcomes. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these neuroprotective effects and to explore their clinical applications in neurodegenerative disease prevention and treatment.

With thyroid cancer being a prevalent endocrine cancer, timely management is essential to prevent malignancy and detrimental outcomes. Surgical intervention is a popular component of the treatment plan, yet patients often refuse to undergo such procedures even if clinicians explicitly recommend them. This study gathers data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2000–2019) to learn more about the sociodemographic factors that predict the likelihood of surgical intervention. A total of 176,472 patients diagnosed with either papillary or follicular thyroid cancer were recommended surgery, of which 470 were refused. Cancer-specific mortality and overall mortality were determined with the Kaplan–Meier method and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. Mortality rates for patients who delayed surgery (≥4 months vs. <4 months) were determined using similar methods. The findings reveal that surgical delay or refusal increased overall mortality. The surgical refusal was associated with increased thyroid cancer-specific mortality. However, the impact on thyroid cancer-specific mortality for those who delay surgery was not as pronounced. Significant sociodemographic determinants of surgical refusal included age greater than or equal to 55 years, male sex, being unmarried, race of Asian and Pacific Islander, and advanced tumor staging. The results underscore the importance of patient education, shared decision-making, and access to surgical interventions to optimize outcomes in thyroid cancer management.