A study has shown that diabetes treatment "pioglitazone" can lower the risk of dementia in diabetic patients.
Researchers at Severance Hospital and National Cancer Center followed up on 91,218 people first diagnosed with diabetes based on National Health Insurance data for about 10 years. They found the risk of developing dementia was 16 percent lower in the group who took pioglitazone than those who did not.
In particular, the drug was more effective in diabetic patients with blood circulation disorders in the brain and heart.
Diabetes patients with a stroke that blocked cerebrovascular vessels saw the risk of dementia fall by 43 percent after taking pioglitazone. Those with a history of ischemic heart disease caused by coronary artery blood flow disorder also experienced a risk drop by 54 percent.
The research team found the cause of this result in the function of pioglitazone. Pioglitazone not only relieves diabetes by lowering blood sugar but also improves blood vessel function.
Five researchers jointly conducted the study. They are Professor Kim Eo-su of the Neuropsychiatry Department and Professor Kim Kwang-jun of the Geriatric Medicine Department at Severance Hospital, Professor Nam Jeong-mo of the Preventive Medicine Department, Professor Ha Jeong-hee of the Mind Science Department at Yonsei University College of Medicine, and Dr. Choi Dong-woo of the Cancer Big Data Center at the National Cancer Center.
“It is expected that diabetic patients with vascular disorders will be able to establish customized treatment strategies when choosing a treatment,” Professor Kim Kwang-jun said.
Professor Kim Eo-su said, “In addition to this study, which revealed the link between drug use and dementia incidence, further research is needed to determine the mechanisms for inhibiting dementia in drugs. Therefore, we will continue follow-up research to develop effective anti-dementia drugs.”
The research was conducted with financial support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare as part of its project to nurture research-centered hospitals and funds from the Korea Research Foundation.
It was published in the latest edition of Neurology, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).