Type 2 diabetes is associated with a 60% increased risk of dementia — and the younger you develop Type 2 diabetes, the greater the risk.

Around 18% of people who've had diabetes for 10-plus years suffer from dementia, while the number is 10% for those who have had the disease for fewer than five years. In contrast, only about 9% of people without diabetes up to age 70 develop dementia.

So it's very welcome news that SGLT2 inhibitors such as Farxiga, Jardiance, and Invokana — which are approved to treat Type 2 diabetes (as well as to reduce chronic kidney diseases and heart failure) —reduce the risk of dementia.

And they do it better than DPP-4 inhibitors such as Januvia, another Type 2 diabetes medication.

That's the conclusion of a study published in BMJ. Researchers found that taking an SGLT2 inhibitor reduced the risk of dementia by 35%, Alzheimer's by 39%, and vascular dementia by 53% compared to a DPP-4 inhibitor. And the longer it was taken, the greater the protection.

The medication may work by reducing the risk of heart disease, which directly impacts brain health, and by providing direct and indirect protection of neurons in the brain.

If you have Type 2 diabetes and want to protect your brain, ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking an SGLT2 inhibitor.

Then follow the advice on reversing Type 2 diabetes in Dr. Mike's book "The Great Age Reboot."