A common diabetes drug has been linked to an improvement in the rate of age-related cognitive decline.
Metformin is the first-line treatment for most cases of type 2 diabetes and one of the most commonly prescribed medications worldwide, with millions of individuals using it to optimise their blood glucose levels.
A new research study, conducted over six years and involving 1,037 Australians aged 70 to 90, has revealed an additional effect: individuals with type 2 diabetes who used metformin experienced slower cognitive decline with lower dementia rates than those who did not use the medication.
The study was led by researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), UNSW Sydney.
“As they age, people living with type 2 diabetes have a staggering 60% risk of developing dementia, a devastating condition that impacts thinking, behaviour, the ability to perform everyday tasks and the ability to maintain independence. This has immense personal, family, economic and societal impacts,” says Garvan Institute of Medical Research’s Professor Kathy Samaras.
“As we get older, certain parts of the brain shrink, most notably the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, both important to learning, memory, planning and other complex mental activities,” she said.
“While dementia is not a normal consequence of old age, cells in the brain and nerves can be damaged by the formation of plaques and tangles. These abnormalities can eventually lead to dementia.”
The findings provide new hope for a means of reducing the risk of dementia in individuals with type 2 diabetes, with researchers saying it may also benefit those more broadly at risk of dementia – nearly 47 million people worldwide.
Researchers at the Garvan Institute study dementia among many other diseases of ageing. The institute brings together the disciplines of cancer, neuroscience, diabetes and metabolism, and bone health to explore the age-related degeneration of the brain, our nerves, and cells that control metabolism.
You can download the Garvan Institute’s free brochure on Positive Ageing, and find out steps you can take to maintain your health and prevent disease, by clicking here.
