New research has found that a drug used to treat diabetes may help reduce the risk of dementia. The medication, pioglitazone, sold under the brand name Actos, is prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes. Because people with diabetes have twice the risk of developing dementia, researchers hope their new finding may help to reduce this risk.

The study, which appeared in the journal Neurology, analyzed data of 91,218 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes from the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2002 to 2017. Of these patients, 3,467 received pioglitazone.

Over an average follow-up of 10 years, the researchers found that about 8% of the people taking the drug developed dementia, compared to 10% of those who were not taking it.  Researchers noted that the reduction of dementia risk among people taking the medication was most pronounced for those who had a prior history of stroke or ischemic heart disease, says Healthline.

After factoring in risk factors that affect dementia risk, such as smoking and high blood pressure, the researchers found that people taking pioglitazone were 16% less likely to develop dementia. And among those with a history of ischemic heart disease or stroke, the risk was reduced by 54% and 43%, respectively.

“Since dementia develops for years before diagnosis, there may be an opportunity for intervening before it progresses,” said study author Dr. Eosu Kim, of Yonsei University in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in a media release. “These results may suggest that we use a personalized approach to preventing dementia in people with diabetes in the case that they have a history of ischemic heart disease or stroke.”

The reduction in risk become more pronounced as people used the drug for longer periods. Participants who took the drug for four years were 37% less likely to develop dementia than those who did not take the drug, while those who took it for one to two years were 22% less likely.

Kim noted that people taking pioglitazone were also less likely to suffer a stroke during the study period. He added that the side effects of pioglitazone include swelling, weight gain, bone loss and congestive heart failure. More research is needed to determine the long-term safety of the drug and whether there is an optimal dose that could minimize the side effects while maintaining the benefits.

The researchers noted that in previous studies of people with dementia or cognitive decline who did not have diabetes, pioglitazone did not show any protection against dementia.

“So, it’s likely the critical factor affecting the effectiveness is the presence of diabetes,” said Kim.

Dr. Allison Reiss, of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s Medical, Scientific and Memory Screening Advisory Board, told Healthline that it’s probably both the drug itself and its impact on insulin resistance that explains the protective effects against dementia.

“Many drugs that treat diabetes will also have collateral good effects on inflammation and metabolism and blood vessels,” she said. “So, it’s very hard to tease out.”

According to Study Finds, no one should begin taking this drug independently as a method to prevent dementia and any changes to your current medicine routine should always first be discussed with your doctor.