According to a recent study, gliflozins, also known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, are a class of diabetes drugs that may lower the risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease. The results of the study, which were released in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s official magazine, give rise to the possibility that these medications could guard against neurodegenerative illnesses.
SGLT2 inhibitors are useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes because they reduce blood sugar by promoting the kidneys to eliminate extra sugar through urine. The goal of the study was to find out if these medications could also serve as a preventative measure against diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s disease, which are more common in patients with diabetes.
358,862 South Koreans with type 2 diabetes who started taking medication between 2014 and 2019 were included in the study. The study matched people receiving other oral diabetes drugs and those administered SGLT2 inhibitors based on factors such as age, health status, and problems associated to diabetes. Over time, the subjects were monitored to see whether they got Parkinson’s disease or dementia. For an average of two years, those on SGLT2 inhibitors were monitored, whereas the other group was followed for an average of four years.
Sixty-eight percent of the patients experienced dementia or Parkinson’s disease. SGLT2 inhibitor users had a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease than other diabetes medication users, with 39.7 cases per 10,000 person-years, as opposed to 63.7 cases in those using other medicines. The rate of vascular dementia, a form of dementia brought on by insufficient blood supply to the brain, was 10.6 cases per 10,000 person-years for SGLT2 inhibitor users and 18.7 instances for other drug users. In a similar vein, the SGLT2 group had a lower incidence of Parkinson’s disease cases per 10,000 person-years (9.3 cases) than the other groups (13.7 cases).
The researchers discovered that SGLT2 inhibitors were linked to a 30% lower risk of vascular dementia and a 20% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases after controlling for variables like blood pressure, cholesterol, and renal function.
Despite the encouraging results, Yonsei University researcher Dr. Minyoung Lee stressed that more research is necessary to confirm the long-term effects of these medications because participants were only monitored for a maximum of five years. A number of South Korean healthcare organizations funded the study.
SOURCE :
HEALTH WORLD
