MIAMI: Metformin may exert a long-term protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, new research suggests.
Findings from a retrospective longitudinal study of data from Veterans’ Affairs electronic medical records were presented June 11 here at the annual American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2016 Scientific Sessions by Qian Shi, a PhD candidate at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
The results were consistent even after researchers controlled for kidney function, chronic renal disease, and other diabetes medications.
The mechanism is unclear, but metformin is known to cross the blood-brain barrier, she noted.
Asked to comment, session moderator Lawrence S Phillips, MD, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, said: “Metformin has pleiotropic effects, and it is of great interest for a variety of reasons.”
He added that there was an entire symposium here yesterday at the ADA meeting devoted to emerging findings regarding metformin, including its possible preventive roles in cancer and heart disease…