The World Authority For Unbiased Longevity News™️

Our Mission: SuperAging™
(n.) Using new medical science and biohacking to slow down the aging process, repair existing damage and live a dramatically longer life in peak physical and mental health.

Credit: https://newatlas.com/medical/metformin-diabetes-cognitive-decline-lower-dementia-rates/

Metformin treatment linked to lower risks of dementia

October 24, 2020

A new research study published by the German Institute of Medical research has linked the use of metformin to slower cognitive decline and reduced rates of dementia
Patients with type 2 diabetes taking the drug exhibited lower risks of dementia compared to those who did not take the medication
Metformin works by minimizing the amount of glucose released from the liver into the bloodstream

A new research study conducted by the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study has revealed that individuals with Type 2 diabetes using metformin experienced slower cognitive decline and lower dementia rates. Spearheaded by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), and UNSW Sydney, the resulting findings were published in the Journal, Diabetes Care. The study was conducted over a period of six years and tested 1037 Australians aged between 70 to 90 years. Data for this particular finding was retrieved from a group of 123 study participants having type 2 diabetes; with 67 of them receiving metformin to lower blood sugar levels. The researchers then carried out assessments on the participants that measured cognition over a number of capabilities: including language, attention, speed, executive function, and memory. The study concluded that metformin could potentially have cognitive benefits for individuals living with Type 2 Diabetes and those at risk of cognitive decline. For more than 60 years, Metformin has been used safely to treat type 2 Diabetes. It works by reducing the amount of glucose released from the liver into the bloodstream and allows the body’s cells to better manage glucose levels. In fact, in the last decade alone, a number of studies have revealed evidence of metformin’s benefits in weight management, polycystic ovary syndrome, heart disease, and cancer. “We’ve revealed the promising new potential for a safe and widely used medication, which could be life-changing for patients at risk of dementia and their families. For those with type 2 diabetes, metformin may add something extra to standard glucose-lowering in diabetes care: a benefit for cognitive health,” says first author Professor Katherine Samaras, Leader of the Healthy Ageing Research Theme at the Garvan Institute, and endocrinologist at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. “To establish a definitive effect, we are now planning a large, randomized controlled trial of metformin in individuals at risk of dementia and assess their cognitive function over three years. This may translate to us being able to repurpose this cheap medication with a robust safety profile to assist in preventing against cognitive decline in older people,” says Samaras. Since 2005, researchers at CheBA’s Sydney Memory and Ageing Study have been studying elderly Australians to determine the effects of aging on cognition over time. It is believed that Type 2 Diabetes increases the risk of dementia by promoting degenerative pathways in the brain nerves; the same pathways that occur in individuals with a higher risk of dementia. These findings, therefore, provide new hope for a means of lowering the rates of dementia in individuals with type 2 diabetes; as well as minimizing the risks of dementia altogether.

References: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-09-metformin-treatment-linked-cognitive-decline.html

Metformin treatment linked to lower risks of dementia

Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply