Diabetes Drugs May Cut Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Risk by Up to 30%, Study Reveals
sglt2 inhibitors lower risk alzheimers dementia parkinsons
Diabetes Drug SGLT2 Inhibitors May Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Parkinson’s
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a category of medications used to manage diabetes, have shown potential in decreasing the risk of Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and Parkinson’s disease, according to a comprehensive study. The findings revealed a 20% to 30% reduction in the likelihood of developing these neurodegenerative conditions, though additional long-term studies are necessary to confirm these results.
Published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the study highlights the possible link between this class of diabetes drugs and a reduced risk of cognitive decline, including dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
SGLT2 inhibitors, also known as gliflozins, work by lowering blood glucose levels. They achieve this by prompting the kidneys to expel excess sugar from the body via urine.
“With the aging population, the prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders like dementia and Parkinson’s disease is increasing, particularly among individuals with diabetes who face an elevated risk of cognitive deterioration. It’s promising that this drug class may offer some neuroprotective benefits,” remarked Dr. Minyoung Lee, MD, PhD, of Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea.
This retrospective study reviewed data from South Korean patients with type 2 diabetes who began taking diabetes medications between 2014 and 2019. The researchers matched individuals taking SGLT2 inhibitors with others using different oral diabetes medications, ensuring both groups were comparable in age, health status, and diabetes-related complications. Participants were tracked to assess the onset of dementia or Parkinson’s disease. On average, those using SGLT2 inhibitors were monitored for two years, while others using alternate drugs were observed for four years.
sglt2 inhibitors lower risk alzheimers dementia parkinsons: Findings and Risk Mitigation
Of the 358,862 participants, with a median age of 58, approximately 6,837 individuals developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease during the study period.
For Alzheimer’s disease, those taking SGLT2 inhibitors had an incidence rate of 39.7 cases per 10,000 person-years, contrasted with 63.7 cases among individuals on other diabetes drugs. The person-year metric combines the number of people in the study with the duration each individual was followed.
In cases of vascular dementia, caused by vascular disease, the incidence rate was 10.6 cases per 10,000 person-years for individuals taking SGLT2 inhibitors, compared to 18.7 for those on other medications.
As for Parkinson’s disease, those on SGLT2 inhibitors experienced 9.3 cases per 10,000 person-years, versus 13.7 among those using different diabetes drugs.
Adjustments and the Need for Further Inquiry
Once researchers accounted for variables that might influence the risk of dementia or Parkinson’s disease—such as diabetes complications and other medications—they determined that the use of SGLT2 inhibitors was linked to a 20% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, participants on these drugs had a 30% lower chance of developing vascular dementia.
“The findings held steady even after adjusting for variables like blood pressure, glucose levels, cholesterol, and kidney function,” Lee noted. However, he emphasized that additional research is critical to establish the enduring significance of these findings.
Lee further mentioned that since the study’s follow-up period did not exceed five years, some participants might eventually develop dementia or Parkinson’s disease in the future.
The study, titled SGLT2 Inhibitor Use and Risk of Dementia and Parkinson Disease Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, was authored by Hae Kyung Kim, Geert Jan Biessels, Min Heui Yu, Namki Hong, Yong-ho Lee, Byung-Wan Lee, Eun Seok Kang, Bong-Soo Cha, Eun Jig Lee, and Minyoung Lee, and published on 18 September 2024 in Neurology. Its DOI is 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209805.
The research received support from the Korea Health Technology R&D Project, funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare of Korea, Severance Hospital, and Yonsei University College of Medicine.
