Research shows that diabetes medication can reduce the chance of dementia. Here's how the 2 diseases may be linked.

A recently published Korean study suggests that individuals with type 2 diabetes who're prescribed a certain class of medication can have a significantly reduced risk of developing the disease. Lower risk of dementia.

Researchers compared the health outcomes of greater than 110,000 people aged 40-69 with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed a kind of medication called SGLT-2 inhibitors with one other 110,000 patients who were in numerous groups. Take medications, DPP-4 inhibitors. They followed participants for a median of 670 days.

The researchers found that, after accounting for potential confounding aspects, those that took an SGLT-2 inhibitor were 35 percent less more likely to develop dementia.

Diabetes is recognized as a A risk factor for dementia. So it's not entirely surprising that treating diabetes can reduce the chance of dementia. But why would one drug reduce risk greater than one other? And yet how are diabetes and dementia linked?

Diabetes and dementia

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. Its job is to move glucose (sugar) from our blood into our cells, where it becomes a source of energy. Type 2 diabetes occurs when our pancreas has Failed to create Not enough insulin, or our cells develop resistance to insulin.

Dementia is attributable to and covers changes within the brain. Several conditions which affect memory, pondering, mood and our ability to perform each day tasks.

Diabetes has long been recognized as a risk factor for each Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Vascular dementiathe 2 commonest types of dementia. Both are characterised by cognitive decline as a result of disease of the blood vessels within the brain.

We don't fully understand why diabetes and dementia are linked in this manner, but there A few possible reasons.

For example, diabetes increases the chance of heart disease and stroke, which damage the guts and blood vessels. When blood vessels within the brain are damaged, it could result in cognitive decline.

In addition, high blood sugar levels result in inflammation, which might damage brain cells and contribute to the event of dementia.

Treating diabetes can reduce the increased risk.

Better control of blood sugar levels in diabetes helps protect blood vessels. Reduces inflammation In the mind

Diabetes may be controlled initially with lifestyle changes similar to weight loss plan and exercise, but management might also include medications, similar to those taken by diabetic participants. Korean Studies.

Blood glucose levels are comparable in patients taking any kind of medication. But why does one have a lower risk of developing dementia than other people?

SGLT-2 inhibitors (which stand for sodium-glucose transport protein 2) lower blood glucose by increasing renal excretion. These drugs are known. Positive effects on other areas of health as well, including improving blood pressure, promoting weight reduction, and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress (a kind of damage to our cells).

obesity And High blood pressure These are themselves risk aspects for vascular and Alzheimer-type dementia, so it might be that these effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors reduce dementia risk to a greater extent than can be expected from blood glucose alone. may be done with higher control.

Prevention vs. Treatment

It is vital to emphasise that the advantage of a drug in reducing the chance of developing a disease is kind of separate from any suggestion that the drug could also be useful in treating that disease. The best strategy to reduce your risk of lung cancer, for instance, is to quit smoking. Once you develop lung cancer, nonetheless, stopping smoking will not be enough to cure it.

Having said that, as a result of the evidence linking diabetes and dementia, some diabetes drugs have previously been researched as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. And they're shown conferring degrees. Benefit to perception.

Semaglutide, known by the trade name Ozempic, is a member of one other class of diabetes medications (called GLP1 receptor agonists). Semaglutide is currently being studied in two clinical trials as a treatment for early Alzheimer's disease. More than 3500 patients.

These studies themselves began with observations during clinical trials of semaglutide in individuals with diabetes, which showed Lower rates of dementia in those taking the drug in comparison with those taking a placebo.

Like SGLT-2 drugs, the GLP-1 class of medicine is thought to diminish. Inflammation in the brain. GLP-1 drugs also appear to cut back the chemical response that causes the abnormal type of a protein called tau. Pathological symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

What next?

As our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia continues to grow, so will advances in treatment.

It is unlikely that a single drug shall be the reply to Alzheimer's disease. Cancer treatments have advanced to the purpose where “drug cocktails”, or a Drug combinationis normal now.

A possible future for these diabetes drugs is that we might even see them used as a spread of treatments to combat the ravages of dementia or actually help prevent it, even without diabetes. Even in people. But we want more research before reaching that time.