Diabetes Drugs Show Promise in Alzheimer's Prevention, Study Finds - Video
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Overview
A study led by researchers in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy has found that a pair of popular glucose-lowering medications may have protective effects against the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
In research is published in JAMA Neurology.
The data showed a statistically significant association between a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and the use of GLP-1RAs and SGLT2is compared with other glucose-lowering medications. According to the researchers, the findings indicated that the two drugs may have neuroprotective effects for people without diabetes and may help slow the rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients.
Serena Jingchuan Guo , an assistant professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy and the study’s senior author, said these findings may point to new therapeutic uses for drugs commonly used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
So, to assess the risk of ADRD associated with GLP-1RAs and SGLT2is in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), this target trial emulation study included 33 858 eligible patients in the GLP-1RA vs other glucose-lowering drug (GLD) cohort, 34 185 in the SGLT2i vs other GLD cohort, and 24 117 in the GLP-1RA vs SGLT2i cohort.
The results showed that in IPTW-weighted cohorts, the incidence rate of ADRD was lower in GLP-1RA initiators compared with other GLD initiators.
SGLT2i initiators had a lower incidence than other GLD initiators. There was no difference between GLP-1RAs and SGLT2is.
Therefore, it was concluded that in people with T2D, both GLP-1RAs and SGLT2is were statistically significantly associated with decreased risk of ADRD compared with other GLDs, and no difference was observed between both drugs.
Ref: Tang H, Donahoo WT, DeKosky ST, et al. GLP-1RA and SGLT2i Medications for Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias. JAMA Neurol. Published online April 07, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.0353
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Dr. Garima Soni
BDS, MDS(orthodontics)
Dr. Garima Soni holds a BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) from Government Dental College, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, and an MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) specializing in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics from Maitri College of Dentistry and Research Centre. At medical dialogues she focuses on dental news and dental and medical fact checks against medical/dental mis/disinformation