Metformin and Cognitive Performance in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: An Umbrella Review
Abstract
Contradictory results for the association between metformin intake and changes in cognitive function have been reported. We attempted to overview systematic reviews and meta-analyses showing the role of metformin, as mono or combination therapy, in cognitive performance alterations among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to determine the quality of the evidence as well. To find the English-written reviews, a literature search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Trip, and Google Scholar by May 1, 2023. The literature search unearthed 2672 records, 10 of which were included in the study. Metformin may provide cognitive benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes, as evidence suggests potential improvements in memory and a reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Even though the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) score alterations correspond to raising concerns about cognitive decline, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and selective reminding test (SRT) score improvements support metformin's role in improving specific cognitive domains. As such, metformin may exert differential impacts on various aspects of cognitive performance in these patients. However, the inconsistency and low quality of current evidence point toward the need for accurate research to elucidate whether metformin's cognitive effects are protective, neutral, or context-dependent based on patient profiles.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Metformin as an adjuvant in breast cancer treatment
- Metformin Lysosomal Targeting: A Novel Aspect to Be Investigated for Metformin Repurposing in Neurodegenerative Diseases?
- Aberrant HSF1 signaling activation underlies metformin amelioration of myocardial infarction in mice
- Metformin induces ZFP36 by mTORC1 inhibition in cervical cancer-derived cell lines
- Protein Interaction Network for Identifying Vascular Response of Metformin (Oral Antidiabetic)
- Preventing Long COVID With Metformin
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.