Oral antidiabetic drugs and dementia risk: Does treatment matter?

As the population ages, dementia grows as a public health problem. The rising life expectancy and the aging of the so-called baby boomer cohort translate to a substantial number of people reaching ages of high risk for age-related conditions like dementia. As a major cause of disability and dependency in elderly people, dementia puts social and economic burden on patients and their families and affects health care systems worldwide. In the absence of a cure, primary prevention will have the largest effect on the reduction of dementia occurrence.1 Thus, public health research should focus on the identification of modifiable risk factors for dementia. Diabetes mellitus is an established risk factor for dementia. Patients with diabetes have an increased risk for any dementia, Alzheimer disease, and vascular dementia.2 The exact mechanisms of cognitive impairment in diabetic patients remain unknown. The main contributors to diabetes-associated cognitive decline include hyperglycemia, decreased insulin secretion, obesity, increased oxidative stress, and inflammation.3 Diabetes not only promotes neurodegeneration but also induces cerebrovascular pathologies such as stroke, which in turn are further risk factors for dementia.4 Furthermore, patients with diabetes often have other comorbidities such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease that may contribute to the development of dementia. About 12%–14% of US adults have diabetes.5 An effective treatment could prevent ...
Source: Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: All Cognitive Disorders/Dementia, All epidemiology EDITORIALS Source Type: research