A study suggests that a certain class of drugs used to treat diabetes may be linked to a reduced risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
The study examined SGLT2 inhibitors, also known as gliflozins, which lower blood sugar by prompting the kidneys to excrete sugar through urine.
“We are aware that neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease are becoming more prevalent as the population ages. People with diabetes are at a higher risk of cognitive impairment. It is encouraging to see that this category of drugs may offer some protection against dementia and Parkinson’s disease,” stated study author Minyoung Lee, MD, PhD, from Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea.
The retrospective study examined individuals with type 2 diabetes who initiated diabetes medication from 2014 to 2019 in South Korea. Individuals using SGLT2 inhibitors were compared with those using other oral diabetes drugs, ensuring that the two groups had similar ages, other health conditions, and diabetes-related complications. The researchers then monitored the participants to determine whether they developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease. The individuals taking SGLT2 inhibitors were monitored for an average of two years, while those taking the other drugs were monitored for an average of four years.
Among the 358,862 participants with an average age of 58, 6,837 people developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease during the study. For Alzheimer’s disease, the incidence rate for people taking SGLT2 inhibitors was 39.7 cases per 10,000 person-years, compared to 63.7 cases for those taking other diabetes drugs. Person-years represent both the number of people in the study and the amount of time each person spends in the study. For vascular dementia, which is dementia caused by vascular disease, the incidence rate for people taking the SGLT2 drugs was 10.6 cases per 10,000, compared to 18.7 for those taking the other drugs. For Parkinson’s disease, the incidence rate for those taking the SGLT2 drugs was 9.3 cases per 10,000, compared to 13.7 for those taking the other drugs. After researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect the risk of dementia or Parkinson’s disease, such as complications from diabetes and medications, they found that SGLT2 inhibitor use was associated with a 20% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 20% reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease. Those taking the drugs had a 30% reduced risk of developing vascular dementia.