A class of drugs for diabetes may be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in the September 18, 2024, online issue of Neurology . The study looked at sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors , which are also known as gliflozins. They lower blood sugar by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through urine.
"We know that these neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Parkinson's disease are common and the number of cases is growing as the population ages, and people with diabetes are at increased risk of cognitive impairment, so it's encouraging to see that this class of drugs may provide some protection against dementia and Parkinson's disease," said study author Minyoung Lee, MD, Ph.D., of Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea.
The retrospective study looked at people with type 2 diabetes who started diabetes medication from 2014 to 2019 in South Korea. People taking SGLT2 inhibitors were matched with people taking other oral diabetes drugs, so the two groups had people with similar ages, other health conditions and complications from diabetes. Then researchers followed the participants to see whether they developed dementia or Parkinson's disease.
Those taking the SGLT2 inhibitors were followed for an average of two years and those taking the other drugs were followed for an average of four years. Among the 358,862 participants with an average age of 58, a total of 6,83.