Use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors was associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease in diabetic patients.

Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). While animal studies have supported the benefits of incretin-based therapies, including dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors, in PD, clinical research has yielded controversial results. This cohort study aimed to assess the relationship between PD incidence and the utilization of DPP4 inhibitor in diabetic patients. Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2009 to 2018, diabetic patients receiving metformin plus at least one second-line oral antidiabetic (OAD) were enrolled. The patients were categorized as DPP4 inhibitor users and non-users. Propensity score matching was employed to establish a 1:1 ratio between DPP4 inhibitor users and non-users. Among the 205,910 patients enrolled, 149 were diagnosed with PD during follow-up. The incidence rate was 0.29 per 1000 person-years for DPP4 inhibitor users and 0.55 per 1000 person-years for the non-users. DPP4 inhibitor users exhibited a significantly lower risk of PD (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.51; 95% CI 0.39-0.68). Among DPP4 inhibitor users, vildagliptin showed the strongest correlation with a reduction in the risk of PD. This study demonstrates that the use of DPP4 inhibitors along with metformin in diabetic patients is associated with a lower risk of PD compared to those using other OADs.