A common diabetes drug could help protect people with the condition from developing dementia later in life, a new study has suggested.
People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop dementia, statistics show – but a study among those with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes suggests use of pioglitazone could have significant results.
The results were strongest among people who also had a history of stroke or ischemic heart disease, with reduced risks of 54 per cent and 43 per cent respectively.
“Since dementia develops for years before diagnosis, there may be an opportunity for intervening before it progresses,” said study author Dr Eosu Kim, of Yonsei University in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
“These results may suggest that we could use a personalised approach to preventing dementia in people with diabetes, in the case that they have a history of ischemic heart disease or stroke.”
For the study, researchers looked at the national Korean health database for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who did not have dementia. They were followed for an average of ten years.
Of the 91,218 participants, 3,467 received the drug pioglitazone.
During the study, 8.3 per cent of the people taking pioglitazone developed dementia, compared to ten per cent of those who were not taking the drug.
After researchers accounted for other factors that could affect dementia risk, such as high blood pressure, smoking and physical activity, they found that people taking pioglitazone were 16 per cent less likely to develop the disease than those who did not take it.
The benefit was strongest among people who had a history of ischemic heart disease or stroke.
The reduced risk also increased as people used the drug for longer periods. People who took the drug for four years were 37 per cent less likely to develop dementia than those who did not take the drug, while those who took it for one to two years were 22 per cent less likely.
People taking the drug were also less likely to have a stroke during the study.
Dr Kim noted that side effects of pioglitazone include swelling, weight gain, bone loss and congestive heart failure, and more research is needed on the long-term safety of the drug and whether there is an optimal dose that could minimise side effects while maintaining the benefits.
“These results provide valuable information on who could potentially benefit from pioglitazone use for prevention of dementia,” Dr Kim said.
“In some previous studies of people with dementia or at risk of cognitive decline who did not have diabetes, pioglitazone did not show any protection against dementia, so it’s likely that a critical factor affecting the effectiveness is the presence of diabetes. More research is needed to confirm these findings.”
