A class of drugs for diabetes may be linked to a lower risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published in the September 18, 2024, online issue. Neurology®the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study looked at sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, also known as gliflozins. They lower blood sugar levels 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 that the number of cases is increasing as the population ages, and that people with diabetes are at increased risk for cognitive impairment. So it is encouraging to see that this class of drugs may provide some protection against dementia and Parkinson’s disease.”
Minyoung Lee, MD, PhD, study author from Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea
The retrospective study looked at people with type 2 diabetes who started taking diabetes medications in South Korea between 2014 and 2019. People taking SGLT2 inhibitors were matched with people taking other oral diabetes medications, so the two groups had people with similar ages, other health problems and complications from diabetes. Researchers then monitored the participants to see if 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 years, a total of 6,837 people developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease during the study.
For Alzheimer’s disease, the incidence in people taking SGLT2 inhibitors was 39.7 cases per 10,000 person-years, compared with 63.7 cases in those taking other diabetes medications. Person-years represent both the number of people in the study and the amount of time each person spends in the study.
For vascular dementia, dementia caused by vascular disease, the incidence in people taking the SGLT2 drugs was 10.6 cases per 10,000, compared with 18.7 for those taking the other drugs.
For Parkinson’s disease, the incidence in those taking the SGLT2 drugs was 9.3 cases per 10,000, compared with 13.7 in those taking the other drugs.
After researchers adjusted for other factors that could influence the risk of dementia or Parkinson’s disease, such as complications from diabetes and medications, they found that use of SGLT2 inhibitors was associated with a 20% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease Alzheimer’s and a 20% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. disease. Those who took the drugs had a 30% lower risk of developing vascular dementia.
“The results are generally consistent, even after adjusting for factors such as blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and kidney function,” Lee said. “More research is needed to validate the long-term validity of these findings.”
Lee said that since participants were followed for up to five years, it is possible that some participants could later develop dementia or Parkinson’s disease.
The study was supported by the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea; Severance Hospital; and Yonsei University College of Medicine.
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Magazine reference:
Kim, HK, et al. (2024) Use of SGLT2 inhibitors and risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Neurology. doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209805.