Medication used to treat type 2 diabetes has been linked to a 35% lower risk of dementia in a new study. Experts said the idea of repurposing existing drugs to treat diseases that cause dementia “is one that has huge potential”, although researchers stressed trials are needed to confirm their findings. The study by Korean academics analysed data from 110,885 type 2 diabetics aged between 40 and 69 on the Korea National Health Insurance Service.
The patients were either taking sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, which work by reducing the amount of glucose the kidneys reabsorb, allowing it to pass out of the body in urine, or dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, also known as gliptins, which work by blocking an enzyme that helps the body increase insulin levels after eating. During a follow-up period, 1,172 people were newly diagnosed with dementia. The study found SGLT-2 inhibitors were linked to a 35% lower risk of dementia compared with DPP-4 inhibitors.
Researchers said: “This association was similarly observed for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia and was also consistent across subgroups. “We observed a greater association with treatment duration longer than two years. “These findings underscore the need for future randomised controlled trials.
” Dr Jacqui Hanley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, also called for the findings – published in The BMJ – to be confirmed in “robust clinical trials”. “It will als.