Could Parkinson's Disease Risk Be Lowed By Diabetes Drugs

Jasmine C

25 Oct 2025 — 1 min read

Parkinsons Disease

What Did the Research Discover?

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 24 randomized placebo-controlled trials to determine if newer glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs), including DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and SGLT2 inhibitors, are associated with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study analyzed 185,305 participants over a median follow-up of 2.2 years and found that newer GLDs were linked to a 50% lower risk of PD compared to placebo (OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.25–0.98).

Among the drug classes, SGLT2 inhibitors showed the strongest potential protective effect against PD, though evidence was weaker for GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors. The findings suggest that newer GLDs, which improve insulin resistance and reduce oxidative damage and inflammation, may play a role in neuroprotection against PD. However, due to the low number of PD cases and short follow-up duration, further research is needed to confirm these findings.

How Can I Apply This Information?

For individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), this study suggests that newer glucose-lowering drugs may offer potential neuroprotective benefits beyond blood sugar control. If you have T2D and are at higher risk for Parkinson’s disease, discussing SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists with your doctor may be worthwhile.

For healthcare professionals, these findings highlight the possible repurposing of newer GLDs for Parkinson’s prevention or treatment. However, given the limitations of this study, further clinical trials and real-world data are needed to fully understand the long-term effects of these medications on PD risk.

Source:

Tang H, Lu Y, Okun MS, Donahoo WT, Ramirez‐Zamora A, Wang F, Huang Y, Chen WH, Virnig BA, Bian J, Guo J. Meta‐analysis of association between newer glucose‐lowering drugs and risk of Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice. 2023 Nov;10(11):1659-65. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10654811/

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