Study identifies class of diabetes drugs that reduce risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease

A class of diabetes drugs called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors may support reduce the risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease, a recent study suggests.

SGLT2, also known as gliflozin, works by lowering blood sugar levels by helping the kidneys remove sugar from the body through urine. In a novel study published in the journal Neurology, researchers found that the drugs were associated with a 20% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a 20% reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease and a 30% reduced risk of developing vascular dementia after taking other factors into account.

Retrospective test included 358,862 participants with an average age of 58 who started diabetes treatment between 2014 and 2019 in South Korea. Researchers matched participants taking SGLT2 inhibitors with those taking other oral diabetes medications, ensuring similar age and health. They then followed the groups to see who developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease. For those taking SGLT2 inhibitors, the average follow-up was two years, and for those taking other medications, the average follow-up was four years.

Of the 358,862 participants with an average age of 58 years, 6,837 developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease during the study. The analysis showed that those taking SGLT2 inhibitors had significantly lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease (39.7 cases per 10,000 person-years), vascular dementia (10.6 cases), and Parkinson’s disease (9.3 cases) compared with those taking other diabetes medications, who had rates of 63.7, 18.7, and 13.7 cases, respectively.

“The results are generally consistent even after taking into account factors such as blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and kidney function. More research is needed to confirm the long-term validity of these findings.” he said study author, Dr. Minyoung Lee, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

However, because all participants were monitored for less than five years, the study did not address the possibility that some people might later develop dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

“We know that these neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease, are common and the number of cases is increasing as the population ages, and people with diabetes are at greater risk of cognitive decline, so we are encouraged that this class of drugs may provide some protection against dementia and Parkinson’s disease,” Dr. Lee added.