Long-term metformin and diabetes medicine use and Alzheimer's-related brain changes
Association of cumulative exposure to metformin and other T2D medications with cognitive impairment and AD/ADRD biomarkers
This project checks whether people who took metformin or other diabetes drugs for many years show differences in thinking and Alzheimer’s-related blood and brain markers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11367321 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of the long-running Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, which has over 20 years of medication and health records including randomized metformin exposure. Researchers will check thinking and memory, and they will determine whether you have mild cognitive impairment or dementia. They will draw blood to measure Alzheimer-related markers (amyloid, p-tau181, NfL, GFAP) and in about 650 people will do brain amyloid PET scans and MRI to look for brain changes. The team will relate these brain and blood measures to how much metformin or other diabetes medicines you used over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults from the DPP/DPPOS cohort or people with a history of type 2 diabetes or prediabetes who have long-term exposure to metformin or other diabetes medications.
Not a fit: People without a history of diabetes or who never used diabetes medications are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could clarify whether metformin or other diabetes drugs protect against or raise the risk of cognitive decline and help guide treatment choices.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research on metformin and cognition has been mixed, with some studies suggesting benefit, others harm, and no clear consensus.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Luchsinger, Jose Alejandro — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Luchsinger, Jose Alejandro
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.