Diabetes Drugs Show Promise for Reducing Dementia Risk
Key takeaways:
- People with type 2 diabetes who took SGLT-2 inhibitors saw significantly lower rates of dementia and Parkinson's disease.
- Studies have shown that other diabetes drugs, including metformin and GLP-1 agonists, may reduce the risk of dementia.
- Researchers suggest that these drugs appear to have benefits that go beyond lowering blood sugar levels.
A recent study found that SGLT-2 inhibitors, which assist the kidneys in removing sugar from the body through urine, may provide protection against dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers from Yonsei University College of Medicine in South Korea compared the rates of dementia or Parkinson’s disease in those taking SGLT-2 inhibitors and participants taking other oral diabetes drugs.
The study reviewed the health of nearly 360,000 people in South Korea with type 2 diabetes with an average age of 58, who began taking diabetes medication from 2014 to 2019.
When the results were controlled for diabetes medication and complications, the rate of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease was 20% lower for those taking SGLT-2 inhibitors compared to other diabetes drugs. The risk of dementia caused by vascular disease was 30% lower in those taking SGLT-2s.
Researchers controlled for blood sugar, among other factors, suggesting that lowering glucose alone was not directly responsible for lowering the risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
"We hypothesized that SGLT-2 inhibitors could provide neuroprotective benefits beyond mere glucose control," said Dr. Minyoung Lee of Yonsei University College. "The fact that significant results were still observed after balancing these factors suggests that our hypothesis may be correct."
"One of the mechanisms by which SGLT-2 inhibitors have a positive impact on neurodegenerative changes is thought to be through the improvement of chronic conditions such as hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, and kidney disease," Lee added.
Growing possible evidence
The diabetes drug metformin and the medication class of GLP-1 agonists (like Ozempic) have also shown promise in studies for reducing the risk of dementia and Parkinson's disease.
A 2023 Boston University study found that people who stopped taking metformin early had a higher incidence of dementia compared to those who stayed on the medication. As with the recent SGLT-2 study, the connection between metformin use and dementia appears mostly independent of glucose control and insulin.
Another study in Sweden published in July 2024 found that people with type 2 diabetes taking GLP-1 agonists had a lower risk of dementia, compared to other diabetes drugs. GLP-1 agonists were associated with a 30% lower risk of dementia compared to sulfonylureas and a 20% lower risk compared to DPP-4 inhibitors.
The bottom line
Drugs once designed to treat diabetes may potentially offer benefits in protecting people with diabetes from dementia and Parkinson's disease.
Research has also shown evidence that drugs once exclusively used to treat diabetes could potentially assist anyone who has developed neurodegenerative disease. British researchers presented findings in June that showed the GLP-1 drug liraglutide slowed cognitive decline by roughly 18% for people with Alzheimer's disease.
However, referring to the protective effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors for dementia and Parkinson's disease, Lee said the drug's ability to reduce the amount of glucose reabsorbed into the kidneys, which improves the function of the nervous system, was expected to be more pronounced in people with diabetes.
"Thus, the advantages are likely to be more significant in individuals with diabetes rather than those without," Lee said.
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