Diabetes: Are GLP-1s or metformin linked to lower dementia risk?

The International Diabetes Federation reports there were about 589 million adults around the world living with diabetes in 2024, with 90% of these having type 2 diabetes.

Past studies show that people who have type 2 diabetes — a chronic condition where the body does not use its insulin properly — are at a higher risk of developing dementia.

“Type 2 diabetes is not only a metabolic disorder but also a major risk factor for dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and other nonvascular dementiasTrusted Source,” Szu-Yuan Wu, MD, MPH, PhD, professor of radiation oncology and pharmacoepidemiology at Asia University, and director of the Big Data Center at Lo-Hsu Medical Foundation at Lotung Poh-Ai Hospital, both in Taiwan, told Medical News Today.

“The risk of developing dementia is approximately 1.7 times higher in individuals with type 2 diabetes than in the general population. This imposes significant burdens on families and healthcare systems,” Wu explained.