New research indicates that some diabetes medications are linked to a lower risk of the development of dementia in those that take these meds.
The study focused on a specific medication, called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, or SGLT2 inhibitors. These medications are sometimes referred to as gliflozins. They work by enabling the kidneys to better remove blood sugar from the body by passing it into urine.
The study worked by looking at people who were taking SGLT2 inhibitors and paired them with someone of similar age who was taking a different type of oral diabetes medication. The researchers also attempted to pair people together who had similar diagnoses and symptoms. Participants in the study were followed for an average of two years to see if signs or symptoms of Parkinson’s or dementia developed over this period. There were more than 350,000 participants in the study.
They found that those who were taking the SGLT2 inhibitor medication were almost half as likely to develop Parkinson’s or dementia over the time period that was measured. For every 10,000 participants taking an SGLT2 inhibitor, 39.7 developed Alzheimer’s disease. For other meds, that number stood at 63.7. For Parkinson’s, 9.3 out of 10,000 participants taking an SGL2 inhibitor developed this disease. For other meds, 13.7 people developed Parkinson’s.
This research comes from the American Academy of Neurology. The team published their findings in a September issue of the online journal, Neurology. Millions of people around the world are impacted by diabetes, dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases. Hopefully, this research will add to the growing understanding of these things and enable doctors to better help their patients in the future.
The number of people with neurodegenerative diseases continues to rise as the number of elderly people in our society rises. Finding effective ways to help these individuals and meet their needs is important. Preventing these issues from ever happening in the first place is an even better outcome.
Some people are surprised to discover that diabetes is actually closely linked to Alzheimer’s disease. There are medical professionals that sometimes refer to Alzheimer’s as “Type 3 Diabetes.” This is a bit of a misnomer, but it does illustrate something important: Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes share some key characteristics.
Although this has helped researchers to better understand the disease, it hasn’t led to a cure yet. There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. However, the increased understanding of the disease has led to better treatment and prevention methods over the years. This means an increased quality of life for longer periods of time for those suffering from dementia.
Neurodegenerative diseases pose a unique challenge for seniors. Specialized care is sometimes needed for this population to stay safe and healthy. The right care service can help you to better manage this.
We’re happy to talk more with you about in-home care, what it is, and how it can help your family to thrive while you manage these challenges. Give one of our caregivers a call to talk more.
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