Cognitive and metabolic outcomes of vildagliptin addition to the therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: 26 week follow-up study

Abstract

Aims: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus(DM) is a well-known risk factor for cognitive impairment. Recent evidences suggest that Dipeptidyl peptidase-4(DPP-4) inhibitors might have neuroprotective effects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate vildagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor, effects on cognitive function in older patients with DM.

Materials and methods: A retrospective longitudinal clinical trial was carried out on total 130 subjects with type 2 DM. Patients underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment twice within six months interval. The patients were divided into three groups according to antidiabetic treatment: untreated control group (patients achieve individual goal HbA1c without antidiabetic medication), vildagliptin(+) group(patients using vildagliptin alone or combination) and the vildagliptin(-) group.

Results: The mean age was 75.72 ± 7.46 years. The control group was older, of a lighter weight and also had a higher female gender ratio(p ≤ 0.01). When sex, age, educational level and metabolic profile were adjusted, there was only change in copying subdomain of Mini Mental State Examination between vildagliptin(+) and other groups at the end of 6 months. Vildagliptin also resulted in reduction of HbA1c and weight(p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The addition of vildagliptin to treatment improved the copying subdomain of cognitive function and metabolic control of the older patients with type 2 DM within 6 months.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Cognitive decline; DPP-4 inhibitors; Diabetes mellitus; Metabolic outcome; Older adults.