In a new study from Yonsei University College of Medicine, researchers found people taking certain drugs to lower blood sugar for type 2 diabetes had less amyloid in the brain, a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease.
They also found people taking these drugs, called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, showed slower cognitive decline than people in the other two groups.
In people with type 2 diabetes, the body no longer efficiently uses insulin to control blood sugar.
Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, also known as gliptins, can be prescribed when other diabetes drugs do not work. They help control blood sugar when combined with diet and exercise.
In the study, the team examined 282 people with an average age of 76 who were followed up to six years. All had been diagnosed with either pre-clinical, early or probable Alzheimer’s disease.
Of the group, 70 people had diabetes and were being treated with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, 71 had diabetes but were not being treated with the drugs and 141 did not have diabetes.
Participants had brain scans to measure the amount of amyloid in the brain.
Researchers found that people with diabetes who took the drugs had lower average amounts of amyloid plaques in the brain compared to people with diabetes who did not take the drugs and compared to people who did not have diabetes.
They also found that people with diabetes who took the drugs had an average annual decline of 0.87 points on their cognitive test score, while people with diabetes who did not take the drugs had an average annual decline of 1.65 points.
People without diabetes scored an average annual decline of 1.48 points.
The results showing less amyloid in the brains of people taking these medications and less cognitive decline, when compared to people without diabetes raises the possibility that these medications may also be beneficial for people without diabetes who have thinking and memory problems.
The team says more research is needed to demonstrate whether these drugs may have neuroprotective properties in all people.
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The study is published in Neurology. One author of the study is Phil Hyu Lee, MD, PhD.
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