The protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes: a population-based nationwide study

Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, and diabetes are associated with dementia, and insulin resistance promotes vascular dysfunction resulting in dementia. However, the study of insulin use in preventing dementia in CKD patients with diabetes and hypertension is limited. W...

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Main Authors: Yun-Yi Chen, Yi-Hsien Chen, Yu-Wei Fang, Jing-Tong Wang, Ming-Hsien Tsai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Nephrology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04145-9
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author Yun-Yi Chen
Yi-Hsien Chen
Yu-Wei Fang
Jing-Tong Wang
Ming-Hsien Tsai
author_facet Yun-Yi Chen
Yi-Hsien Chen
Yu-Wei Fang
Jing-Tong Wang
Ming-Hsien Tsai
author_sort Yun-Yi Chen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, and diabetes are associated with dementia, and insulin resistance promotes vascular dysfunction resulting in dementia. However, the study of insulin use in preventing dementia in CKD patients with diabetes and hypertension is limited. We aim to assess the effects of insulin use on the incidence of dementia in patients with CKD with hypertension and diabetes. Design, setting and participants A retrospective cohort study using the nationwide database from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. We selected 11,758 CKD patients with diabetes and hypertension in 2006, including 5,864 insulin users and 5,894 non-insulin users. Moreover, their medication possession ratios (MPR) were calculated. Main outcomes We used the competing risk model to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for the incidence of dementia for insulin use in the target population. Results In a follow-up period of 11 years, 1285 events of dementia were recorded, and the multivariate-adjusted HR for dementia by insulin usage (yes vs. no) and insulin usage per MPR is 0.652 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.552 to 0.771) and 0.995 (95% CI: 0.993 to 0.998) respectively. Such a significant negative association was consistent in almost all subgroups. Moreover, a dose-dependent effect of insulin was noted, where patients with higher insulin MPRs were less likely to have dementia. Conclusion The CKD patients with hypertension and diabetes who received insulin therapy had a 35% decreased risk of dementia.
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spelling doaj-art-cfb38363fe8b40b0b849f878e2df91a62025-08-20T02:19:55ZengBMCBMC Nephrology1471-23692025-04-0126111010.1186/s12882-025-04145-9The protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes: a population-based nationwide studyYun-Yi Chen0Yi-Hsien Chen1Yu-Wei Fang2Jing-Tong Wang3Ming-Hsien Tsai4Department of Research, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial HospitalDepartment of Family Medicine, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial HospitalDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial HospitalDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial HospitalDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial HospitalAbstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, and diabetes are associated with dementia, and insulin resistance promotes vascular dysfunction resulting in dementia. However, the study of insulin use in preventing dementia in CKD patients with diabetes and hypertension is limited. We aim to assess the effects of insulin use on the incidence of dementia in patients with CKD with hypertension and diabetes. Design, setting and participants A retrospective cohort study using the nationwide database from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. We selected 11,758 CKD patients with diabetes and hypertension in 2006, including 5,864 insulin users and 5,894 non-insulin users. Moreover, their medication possession ratios (MPR) were calculated. Main outcomes We used the competing risk model to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for the incidence of dementia for insulin use in the target population. Results In a follow-up period of 11 years, 1285 events of dementia were recorded, and the multivariate-adjusted HR for dementia by insulin usage (yes vs. no) and insulin usage per MPR is 0.652 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.552 to 0.771) and 0.995 (95% CI: 0.993 to 0.998) respectively. Such a significant negative association was consistent in almost all subgroups. Moreover, a dose-dependent effect of insulin was noted, where patients with higher insulin MPRs were less likely to have dementia. Conclusion The CKD patients with hypertension and diabetes who received insulin therapy had a 35% decreased risk of dementia.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04145-9Chronic kidney diseaseReal-world evidenceInsulinInsulin resistanceHypertensionDiabetes
spellingShingle Yun-Yi Chen
Yi-Hsien Chen
Yu-Wei Fang
Jing-Tong Wang
Ming-Hsien Tsai
The protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes: a population-based nationwide study
BMC Nephrology
Chronic kidney disease
Real-world evidence
Insulin
Insulin resistance
Hypertension
Diabetes
title The protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes: a population-based nationwide study
title_full The protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes: a population-based nationwide study
title_fullStr The protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes: a population-based nationwide study
title_full_unstemmed The protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes: a population-based nationwide study
title_short The protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes: a population-based nationwide study
title_sort protective effects of insulin on the developing of dementia in chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension and diabetes a population based nationwide study
topic Chronic kidney disease
Real-world evidence
Insulin
Insulin resistance
Hypertension
Diabetes
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04145-9
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