Scientific American recently covered the association of Metformin and dementia. The essence of the story was to show that Metformin is protective of dementia. The article then covers the ADA New Orleans presentation by Dr. Qian Shi of Tulane.

In studying over 6,000 US Vets with diabetes. Her research team demonstrated a significantly decreased risk for dementia for those on metformin. In fact, adjustment for age, level of disease, and other diabetes drugs - such as insulin - held true for metformin being protective.

This article covered lab animal research by Jing Wang and Freda Miller of the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. They demonstrated increased spatial cognition by lab mice. Steven Arnold, a neurologist at Mass General (Harvard) demonstrated improved cognitive performance - and imaging evidence - in the brains of human mild cognitive impairment - when taking metformin.

Why isn't Dr. Arnold doing a larger, more definitive study of this issue? Metformin is very inexpensive. Because there is extremely little Pharma money to be made on Metformin, there is little funding available.

This is reminiscent of the TAME study (TArgetting Aging with Metformin) study. There is significant evidence that Metformin slows the general aging process. Yet funding for a study of this concept has suffered.