Diabetes Drugs Offer New Hope for Alzheimer’s Patients

Now, there is some good news for sufferers of Alzheimer’s as a study has claimed that two drugs used for type-2 diabetes can be used for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. According to the researchers of Ulster and Lancaster Universities, at present, lixisenatide and liraglutide are more effective than any other medicine available for the patients of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.

Scientists claim that the two drugs can also reverse the ill effects of the disease. Professor Christian Holscher of Lancaster University said: “These are very exciting results. There are no drugs on the market for Alzheimer's disease that actually treat the disease, all we currently have are two types of drugs that mask the symptoms for a while. Lixisenatide and liraglutide offer a real improvement by treating the basis of the disease and, therefore, preventing degeneration.”

The test was carried out on mice in laboratory. When the mice were given these drugs, there was an increase in the number of synapses in their brains, which are required for communication between neurons. And this loss is observed in patients of Alzheimer’s disease.

Daily injections of the drugs for 10 weeks brought down the level of amyloid plaques in the brain and improved their memories, said the study.

“It is exciting that drugs used for type-2 diabetes have been found to be promising as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and could tackle the underlying changes in the brain that are causing the disease,” said James Picket, head of research at the society.

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible brain disease that gradually kills brain cells linked to memory and thinking skills. No present treatment can arrest the progress of the disease.

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Source-Medindia