Continuous use of the drug pioglitazone reduces the risk of dementia, according to a South Korean study. The finding applies only to patients with type 2 diabetes
South Korean scientists have found that a cheap and quite common drug for treatment type 2 diabetespioglitazone may reduce the risk of dementia in patients with the disease associated with high blood sugar (glucose) levels. To date, the benefits of the drugs have not been seen in other audiences.
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To identify the drug’s potential benefits in protecting against dementia, researchers at Yonsei University, South Korea, analyzed the medical data of more than 90,000 people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, who were followed up, on average, for 10 years. . When included in the study, none of the volunteers showed levels of cognitive decline. The full study was published in the scientific journal neurology.
It is worth mentioning that the risk of people with diabetes developing some type of dementia is significantly higher than in the general population. According to previous studies, the risk is almost 50% higher. In this context, new prevention strategies are needed, as could possibly be the use of the drug pioglitazone.
What did the type 2 diabetes drug study find for dementia?
“The results [do atual estudo] provide valuable insight into who might benefit from the use of pioglitazone for dementia prevention,” said Eosu Kim, lead author of the study and a researcher at the South Korean university, in a statement.
By analyzing the data and reviewing other factors that could influence dementia risk (high blood pressure, smoking, and physical inactivity), the researchers concluded that the medications are associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline in people newly diagnosed with diabetes. type 2 and have a history of Cerebral vascular accident (stroke or stroke) or ischemic heart disease.
In numbers, medication use was associated with a 54 percent increased risk in patients with type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease. In relation to people with a previous history of stroke, the risk was 43% lower than in people who did not take this drug.
Can this discovery be seen as a generalized prevention strategy against dementia?
Scientists today don’t believe the drug’s widespread use by people without type 2 diabetes would be beneficial. “In some previous studies in people with dementia or at risk for cognitive decline who did not have diabetes, pioglitazone has shown no protection against dementia. So it is likely that a critical factor influencing efficacy is the presence of [e a evolução] of diabetes,” says researcher Kim.
On the other hand, the discovery may be a beneficial prevention strategy for diabetic patients. “Because dementia develops for years before diagnosis, there may be an opportunity to intervene before it progresses,” adds Kim.
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Source: Terra
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