New research in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism reveals that metformin, a medication traditionally prescribed to treat diabetes, is linked to lower risks of dementia and early death.
In the study by investigators at Taipei Medical University that included 452,777 adults with varying degrees of overweight and obesity, 35,784 cases of dementia and 76,048 deaths occurred over 10 years. Metformin users exhibited significantly lower risks of both dementia and all-cause death than nonusers.
The benefits of metformin were seen across all categories of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity, with 8–12% lower risks of dementia and 26–28% lower risks of death.
“Although our study results are promising for metformin’s effects on dementia and mortality, further research is required to explore the mechanisms involved,” said co-corresponding author Chiehfeng Chen, MD, Ph.D., MPH.
More information:
Protective Effect of Metformin Against Dementia in Patients With Obesity: Results From a Global Federated Health Network Analysis, Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism (2025). DOI: 10.1111/dom.16647
Citation:
A diabetes drug may help prevent dementia (2025, August 6)
retrieved 6 August 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-diabetes-drug-dementia.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.