Common diabetes drug may have other benefits

Common diabetes drug may have other benefits


Metformin, one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treating Type 2 diabetes, has a newly discovered, and unexpected, benefit. In a recent study, the well-known medication has been found to produce slower cognitive decline and lower dementia rates in these patients compared with those who do not take it.

Researchers in Australia reviewed data from more than 1,000 people between 70 and 90 years of age and found about 12% had Type 2 diabetes. Half of these diabetes patients were using metformin to control their blood glucose levels.

Because Type 2 diabetes can lead to long-term health issues, including cognitive decline, the study participants’ cognitive functions were tested every two years for six years, including attention, memory and language skills.

The researchers found those with Type 2 diabetes had a 60% risk of developing dementia. But they also found those who had diabetes and took metformin exhibited less risk of dementia and a slower rate of cognitive decline. In fact, the participants showed the same rate of cognitive decline over six years as non-diabetics.

Sixty years after it debuted, metformin remains one of the most widely used Type 2 diabetes drugs in the world. It works by reducing the amount of glucose released by the liver into the blood.

It’s also not the drug’s first known use for other diseases. In recent years, it has shown benefits for heart disease, cancer and weight loss. Next, the researchers are planning a large, randomized controlled trial in people at risk of dementia.

Metformin, which has helped so many people around the world battle diabetes, may soon be ready for a second act.

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