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Interactions between antidiabetes medications and heart-brain axis
Leong Tung Ong1, Ching-Hui Sia
1Department of Cardiology, National University Heart Centre, Singapore.
Insights
Antidiabetic drugs show promise for improving heart and brain health in diabetes patients. Further research is needed to confirm these benefits for the heart-brain axis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The heart-brain axis (HBA) describes physiological interactions between cardiovascular and nervous systems.
- Diabetes mellitus increases risk for cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
- Antidiabetic drugs may influence HBA function, impacting cognitive and cardiac health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of antidiabetic drugs on the heart-brain axis in patients with diabetes.
- To explore how these medications affect cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on antidiabetic drugs and their effects on the HBA.
- Analysis of mechanisms by which different drug classes influence cardiovascular and neurological health.
Main Results:
- Metformin enhances cardiovascular and cognitive function via AMPK activation.
- SGLT2 inhibitors reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, benefiting heart failure and neurodegenerative pathology.
- DPP-4 inhibitors offer neuroprotection but may increase heart failure risk.
- GLP-1 receptor agonists provide neuroprotection but may increase sympathetic activity.
Conclusions:
- Antidiabetic medications possess potential to improve cardiovascular and cognitive health.
- Further clinical studies are necessary to validate these observed effects on the HBA.
Purpose Of Review:
The heart - brain axis (HBA) is the physiological interactions between the cardiovascular and nervous systems through autonomic nerves, hormones, and cytokines. Patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus have an increased risk of the cardiovascular and neurological diseases. However, recent evidence demonstrated that different antidiabetic drugs may delay cognitive impairment and improve cardiovascular outcomes. This review examines the impact of antidiabetic drugs on the HBA in patients with diabetes.
Recent Findings:
Metformin improves the cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes through adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors reduce inflammation, oxidative stress by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome thereby reducing the incidence of heart failure and formation of beta-amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors exhibit neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's disease by reducing amyloid-beta and tau pathology and inflammation but may exacerbate heart failure risk due to increased sympathetic activity and prolonged β-adrenergic stimulation. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists exhibit neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases by reducing neuroinflammation, but may increase sympathetic activity, potentially elevating heart rate and blood pressure, despite their cardioprotective benefits.
Summary:
Antidiabetes medications have the potential to improve cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes; however, additional studies are required to substantiate these effects.
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