Current research suggests that a low-cost pill consumed widely by diabetes sufferers may slash Alzheimer’s risk by half. Known as Actos or pioglitazone in the medical community, this tablet has been found to slow cognitive decline – drastically reducing instances of this memory-stealing disease.
Costing approximately 30p per pill, it could prove to be a game-changing solution as it controls blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin production.
In the UK, unhealthy lifestyles have led to over 4.5 million people suffering from Type 2 diabetes, making them twice as susceptible to dementia due to poor blood circulation linking both conditions.
Dr Eosu Kim, noted author of the study and part of Yonsei University in South Korea, declared: “Since dementia develops for years before diagnosis, there may be an opportunity for intervening before it progresses.”
The gains were most substantial for those also having a history of either stroke or ischaemic heart disease, an issue triggered by artery narrowing. The likelihood of these individuals developing dementia fell by 43% and 54% respectively, reports Birmingham Live.
These statistics took into account potential exacerbating aspects such as high blood pressure, smoking habits, and physical activity levels. Overall dementia occurrence reduced by 16% among the drug-prescribed participants and continued to fall through sustained usage of the medication.
Participants taking the medicine for two years or four years saw case rates decline by 22% and 37% respectively. These findings draw upon a study involving 91,218 individuals based in South Korea, which spanned an average duration of ten years with 3,467 participants being administered with pioglitazone.
People who took the medication also experienced a reduced risk of stroke, according to Dr Kim, who stated: “These results provide valuable information on who could potentially benefit from pioglitazone use for prevention of dementia.”
Dr Kim further explained the significance of diabetes in the effectiveness of the drug: “In some previous studies of people with dementia or at risk of cognitive decline who did not have diabetes, pioglitazone did not show any protection against dementia. So it is likely a critical factor affecting the effectiveness is the presence of diabetes. More research is needed to confirm these findings.”
The study revealed that 8.3% of participants on pioglitazone went on to develop dementia, as opposed to 10% of those not on the drug. With dementia cases expected to soar to over 150 million by 2050 and no cure on the horizon, the emphasis is increasingly on protective lifestyle measures.
Maintaining a healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity are key in preventing both diabetes and dementia. However, Actos, the brand name for pioglitazone, comes with side effects such as swelling, weight gain, bone loss, and congestive heart failure.
Further investigation into the long-term safety of pioglitazone and the ideal dosage is necessary, Prof Kim advised. The findings were published in the esteemed journal Neurology.