Gliflozinate medications for diabetes reduce the risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease health
A new study has revealed that a class of medications used to treat diabetes may be linked to a reduced risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
The study looked at sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, also known as gliflozinate, which lower blood sugar by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through urine.
“We know that these neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease are common, and the number of cases is increasing as people age, and people with diabetes face an increased risk,” said study author Dr. Min Young Lee, a Ph.D. from Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. “For cognitive impairment, therefore, it is encouraging to see that this class of drugs may provide some protection against dementia and Parkinson’s disease.”
The study, the results of which were published in the Journal of Neuroscience on September 18, 2024, looked at people with type 2 diabetes who started taking diabetes medications between 2014 and 2019 in South Korea.
People taking gliflozinate were compared to others taking other oral diabetes medications, with both groups including individuals of the same ages who had similar health conditions and complications resulting from diabetes.
The researchers then followed the participants to see if they developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease. People taking gliflozinate were followed for an average of 2 years, while others taking other medications were followed for an average of 4 years.
Among 358,862 participants with an average age of 58 years, 6,837 people developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease during the study period.
Decreased rate of Alzheimer’s
The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease for people taking gliflozinate was about 39.7 cases per 10,000 person-years, compared to 63.7 cases for those taking other diabetes medications.
The incidence of vascular dementia – which is dementia caused by blood vessel disease – was about 10.6 cases per 10,000 for people taking gliflozinate, compared to 18.7 for those taking other medications.
For Parkinson’s disease, the incidence rate for those taking gliflozinate was about 9.3 cases per 10,000 compared to 13.7 for those taking other medications.
After the researchers adjusted for other factors that may affect the risk of dementia or Parkinson’s disease, such as diabetes complications and medications, they found that use of gliflozinate was associated with a 20% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and a 20% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Min Young Lee said – according to the Eurek Alert website – “The results are generally consistent even after adjusting for factors, such as blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and kidney function.”
“More research is needed to validate these findings in the long term,” Lee added.
He noted that since the participants were followed for a maximum of less than 5 years, it is possible that some participants may develop dementia or Parkinson’s disease later on.
