Scientists from the University of Toronto have found that a class of type 2 diabetes drugs can help older people with the disease reduce their risk of developing dementia. The research was published in the journal diabetes care.
Often, the first medication prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes is metformin. If it doesn’t work well enough, other medications may be added. For example, SGLT2, which lowers blood sugar by causing the kidneys to excrete more glucose in the urine. Or DPP4, which prolongs the lifespan of the hormone that stimulates insulin production.
More than 106,000 people aged 66 and over participated in the study. Some were taking SGLT2 drugs, others were taking DPP4. The patients were followed for three years. At the end of the study, there were 20% fewer dementia patients in the SGLT2 group.
Diabetes roughly doubles the risk of developing dementia, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists suggest that damage to blood vessels caused by diabetes also affects blood vessels in the brain, leading to cognitive decline.
Source: Gazeta
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