Minneapolis [US], September 19 (ANI): According to a study, a class of diabetes medications may be linked to a decreased risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease. The findings were published in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Gliflozins, another name for sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, were the subject of the investigation.
By encouraging the kidneys to eliminate sugar from the body through urine, they reduce blood sugar. “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, PhD, 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 o.