Metformin Linked to Lower Neurodegenerative Disease Risk

Metformin Linked to Lower Neurodegenerative Disease Risk

"The mechanism is unclear, but metformin is known to cross the blood-brain barrier ... The adjusted incidence of developing one or more neurodegenerative diseases per 100 person-years was 2.08 for those who never used metformin, 2.47 for those using metformin less than 1 year, 1.61 for less than 2 years, 1.30 for 2 to 4 years, and 0.49 for 4 or more years ... Compared with no metformin, the hazard ratios for 2 to 4 years of metformin therapy for all neurodegenerative diseases combined was 0.623 and for 4 or more years 0.216 ... The findings were also significant for dementia specifically (0.567 at 2–4 years and 0.252 for 4+ years) and for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases only beyond 4 years (0.038 and 0.229, respectively)"

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/864681

One wonders if low carb would have the same effect?

yoly wrote: Metformin Linked to Lower Neurodegenerative Disease Risk

"The mechanism is unclear, but metformin is known to cross the blood-brain barrier ... The adjusted incidence of developing one or more neurodegenerative diseases per 100 person-years was 2.08 for those who never used metformin, 2.47 for those using metformin less than 1 year, 1.61 for less than 2 years, 1.30 for 2 to 4 years, and 0.49 for 4 or more years ... Compared with no metformin, the hazard ratios for 2 to 4 years of metformin therapy for all neurodegenerative diseases combined was 0.623 and for 4 or more years 0.216 ... The findings were also significant for dementia specifically (0.567 at 2–4 years and 0.252 for 4+ years) and for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases only beyond 4 years (0.038 and 0.229, respectively)"

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/864681

Probably because it works on many levels including at the mitochondria. It's a floor wax. It's a dessert topping . . . some of the responses are interesting, I just bookmarked http://www.thepmc.org for further study. I suspect Derek is right, but metformin adds a turbocharger - as long as B12 is not depleted which would undo the benefit.

OK ignore that PMC site, the guy seems to have some grasp of technical stuff but then tries to shoehorn it into a low fat/vegetarian mindset.

Don't confuse it with this PMC, I've seen some pea harvesters being cleaned ready for the local (frozen) pea harvest. One of the few "processed" foods that are actually better than the real thing, provided you can handle the carbs - they are picked at the point of perfection and only grown within a two hour radius of the freezer plants so they don't lose any nutrients.