US Pharm. 2012;37(5):1.
Taipei, Taiwan, and Melbourne, Australia—A 12-year study of a large Taiwanese population cohort has discovered that the risk of Parkinson’s disease, which is increased by diabetes and elevated further by the sulfonylureas used to treat diabetes, is reduced when metformin is included in the therapy. “Metformin seems to be working to protect the brain against neurodegeneration which contributes to Parkinsonism,” stated lead study author Professor Mark Wahlqvist. “This means it may also be considered a relevant therapy for the prevention of dementia as well.” While the mechanism of action remains to be elucidated, it is likely that metformin causes the regulation of energy metabolism in cells, including the brain, to be reset.
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