Risk of dementia after initiation of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in adults aged 40-69 years with type 2 diabetes: population based cohort study

Association between use of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor and the risk of incident dementia: a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To assess the association between sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT-2i) use and the risk of incident dementia compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) use among individuals with type 2 diabetes.

DESIGN

A population-based retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum database from the UK.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals with type 2 diabetes, aged 40 years or older, newly prescribed SGLT-2i or DPP-4i on or after 2013-2021, registered in the CPRD Aurum database.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The primary outcome was incident dementia, and the secondary outcome was incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the HR and corresponding 95% CI for the primary and secondary outcomes. Propensity score fine stratification weights were used to adjust for confounding.

RESULTS

Among a cohort of 118 006 individuals, the incident rate (IR) of dementia was 0.56/1000 person-years over a median follow-up period of 1.54 years among SGLT-2i users compared with 2.67/1000 person-years in DPP-4i users, over a median follow-up period of 1.79 years. The adjusted HR for SGLT-2i use compared with DPP-4i use for dementia was 0.78 (95% CI 0.55 to 1.12), while for MCI was 0.86 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.92). The age-specific stratified analysis demonstrated the adjusted HR for SGLT-2i use compared with DPP-4i use for the risk of incident dementia among elderly, aged ≥65 years, was 0.50 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.80).

CONCLUSION

Primary findings did not yield conclusive evidence to infer an association between SGLT-2i use and the risk of incident dementia.

The double life of glucose metabolism: brain health, glycemic homeostasis, and your patients with type 2 diabetes

The maintenance of cognitive function is essential for quality of life and health outcomes in later years. Cognitive impairment, however, remains an undervalued long-term complication of type 2 diabetes by patients and providers alike. The burden of sustained hyperglycemia includes not only cognitive deficits but also the onset and progression of dementia-related conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent research has shown that the brain maintains an independent glucose "microsystem"-evolved to ensure the availability of fuel for brain neurons without interruption by transient hypoglycemia. When this milieu is perturbed, brain hyperglycemia, brain glucotoxicity, and brain insulin resistance can ensue and interfere with insulin signaling, a key pathway to cognitive function and neuronal integrity. This newly understood brain homeostatic system operates semi-autonomously from the systemic glucoregulatory apparatus. Large-scale clinical studies have shown that systemic dysglycemia is also strongly associated with poorer cognitive outcomes, which can be mitigated through appropriate clinical management of plasma glucose levels. Moreover, these studies demonstrated that glucose-lowering agents are not equally effective at preventing cognitive dysfunction. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor analogs and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) appear to afford the greatest protection; metformin and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4is) also significantly improved cognitive outcomes. Sulfonylureas (SUs) and exogenous insulin, on the other hand, do not provide the same protection and may actually worsen cognitive outcomes. In the creation of a treatment plan, comorbid cognitive conditions should be considered. These efficacious treatments create a new gold standard of managing hyperglycemia-one which is consistent with the "complication-centric prescribing" mandates issued in type 2 diabetes treatment guidelines. The increasing longevity enjoyed by our populace places the onus on clinical care to play the "long game" in using targeted treatments for glucose control in patients with, or at risk for, cognitive decline to maintain cognitive wellness later in life. This article reviews critical emerging data for scientists and trialists and translates new enhancements in patient care for practitioners.