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Diabetes Therapies for Dementia

  • Dementia (K.S. Marder, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of review

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a well-established risk factor for the development of dementia. Dementia and T2D share some underlying pathophysiology that has led to interest in the potential to repurpose drugs used in the management of T2D to benefit brain health. This review describes the scientific data available on the use of T2D medications for the risk reduction or management of dementia, in people with and without T2D.

Recent findings

Results from basic laboratory research support the potential for commonly-used medications for T2D, including those with direct glucose-lowering properties, to have a beneficial effect on brain health. However, human studies have been mostly observational in nature and report conflicting results. Preliminary data suggest that intranasal insulin, metformin, and GLP-1 agonists show promise for dementia, but confirmatory evidence for their benefit in dementia is still lacking.

Summary

Current evidence does not support the repurposing of T2D medications for dementia risk reduction or management. Research in the field of T2D and dementia is active, and further data are required before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peninsula Clinical School, Central Clinical School, Monash University, 2 Hastings Road, Frankston, VIC, 3199, Australia

    Chris Moran, Michele L. Callisaya & Velandai Srikanth

  2. Departments of Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, Peninsula Health, 2 Hastings Road, Frankston, VIC, 3199, Australia

    Chris Moran & Velandai Srikanth

  3. Department of Aged Care, Caulfield Hospital, Alfred Health, 260 Kooyong Rd, Caulfield, VIC, 3162, Australia

    Chris Moran

  4. Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool St, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia

    Chris Moran, Michele L. Callisaya & Velandai Srikanth

  5. Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush Memory Clinic, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, 1750 W. Harrison Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Zoe Arvanitakis

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Correspondence to Zoe Arvanitakis.

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Conflict of Interest

Chris Moran, Michele L. Callisaya, and Velandai Srikanth each declares no potential conflicts of interest. Zoe Arvanitakis reports grants from National Institutes of Health (R01 NS084965 and RF1 AG059621), during the conduct of the study; other from Amylyx, outside the submitted work.

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Moran, C., Callisaya, M.L., Srikanth, V. et al. Diabetes Therapies for Dementia. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 19, 58 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-019-0973-4

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