Diabetes Drug May Help Treat Alzheimer’s
New research at the University of Virginia Health System and Case Western Reserve University in Ohio shows that a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes may hold promise in treating Alzheimer’s as well, without serious side effects.
” The drug, pioglitazone HCl may reduce the body’s inflammatory reaction to one of the toxic components that builds up in Alzheimer’s, called amyloid plaque,” said Dr. David Geldmacher, an associate professor of neurology at UVa.
“We don’t know exactly how pioglitazone works in Alzheimer’s, but the real advantage is that it’s a completely novel approach to treating the disease.”
“If it works, this treatment might allow people to better hold on to memory and brain function over a period of time, despite having Alzheimer’s,” Geldmacher said. “It could also complement other treatments and become part of a multi-pronged approach to Alzheimer’s treatment.”
