Type 2 diabetes drug associated with 35% lower risk of dementia, study finds

The research, published by the BMJ, also identified a 39% reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease associated with SGLT-2 inhibitors. Photograph: LPETTET/Getty Images

A drug used to treat type 2 diabetes is associated with a 35% lower risk of dementia, according to research.

The number of people with dementia globally is expected to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050. The health and social costs linked to dementia already exceed $1tn (£780bn) a year, research shows.