Mechanisms and Research Progress of SGLT-2 Inhibitors in Diabetes Mellitus-Related Cognitive Impairment.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) increases the risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia, severely impacting patients' quality of life and long-term future prospects. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i), a class of oral hypoglycemic drugs, have recently been shown to have neuroprotective effects. Studies show that SGLT-2i ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in diabetic animal models through various mechanisms such as insulin pathways in the brain, cerebrovascular dysfuntion, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, inhibition of Alzheimer's disease pathology, and neurotrophic factor expression. Clinical studies also show that SGLT-2i improves cognitive performance in diabetic patients, significantly reducing the risk of dementia and MCI. Despite the promising role of SGLT-2i in preventing and treating DM-related cognitive impairment, further studies and more robust clinical evidence are needed for its clinical application.