Impact of metformin use on neurocognitive functions in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors

Madson Alan Maximiano-Barreto, Jordan Alves Dos Santos Pereira, Victor José Bastos-Silva

Published in

Dementia & neuropsychologia. Volume 20. Pages e20260527. Epub Oct 02, 2026.

Abstract

Metformin is a widely prescribed drug for managing diabetes mellitus. Recent studies have investigated its potential effects on cognitive function in adults aged 60 years and older, a population that is steadily increasing and often exhibits cognitive impairments associated with aging and other chronic conditions.
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of metformin use on cognitive functions in older adults through a meta-analysis.
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, utilizing the Embase, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024624045).
Thirteen articles met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this systematic review, of which five provided sufficient data for the meta-analysis. The findings indicate that metformin has a small but positive effect on overall cognitive function in older adults. Additionally, the meta-analysis demonstrated low heterogeneity (49.6%) and a low risk of bias (p>0.05).
The results suggest that metformin may have a protective effect on the overall cognitive function of older adults, in addition to its well-established metabolic benefits.

PMID:
42841129
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Oct 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.