Lower dementia risk seen with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 in seniors 65+ with mood, psychotic disorders

09 Jul 2026, 23:00 · Medical Xpress

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Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor use is associated with a lower risk for dementia in older adults with mood and psychotic disorders, according to a study published online June 30 in JAMA Network Open.

David T. Liebers, M.D., from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues examined whether treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors is associated with a reduced risk for incident dementia and other neuropsychiatric outcomes in patients with psychiatric disorders in a cohort study using a target trial emulation design and data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs databases. Participants were 65 years and older and had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

The sample included 112,725 individuals (median age, 74.1 years; 92.8% men), 6.8% of whom were exposed to an SGLT2 inhibitor. The researchers found that SGLT2 inhibitor use was associated with reduced odds of all-cause dementia and psychiatric emergency department (PED) visits, but not psychiatric hospitalizations, in the intention-to-treat analysis. SGLT2 inhibitor use was associated with lower odds of all-cause dementia and psychiatric hospitalizations, but not PED visits, in the per-protocol analysis.

"These findings support the hypothesis of shared metabolic vulnerability across psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases," the authors write. "Further investigation is warranted of SGLT2 inhibitors as potential transdiagnostic treatment options in individuals with high-risk psychiatric disorders."

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Publication details

David T. Liebers et al, Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors and Dementia Risk in Patients With Psychiatric Disorders, JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.19985

Journal information: JAMA Network Open

Key medical concepts

DementiaMajor Depressive DisorderBipolar Disorder

Clinical categories

PsychiatryNeurologyClinical pharmacology Who's behind this story?

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Citation: Lower dementia risk seen with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 in seniors 65+ with mood, psychotic disorders (2026, July 9) retrieved 9 July 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-dementia-sodium-glucose-cotransporter-seniors.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.