(NaturalNews) — The date is March 23, 2020. Metformin, a common type 2 diabetic medication, may have an unexpected but good side effect. According to new research, those who take the medicine tend to have considerably slower decreases in thinking and memory as they age. The study was published online February 4 in JAMA Internal Medicine. It showed that among people over the age of 50, those who took metformin were 31 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the following two years compared to those who did not take the drug. This advantage disappeared by about four years after starting the medication. "These findings suggest that although further studies are needed to confirm these results, patients should not assume that taking metformin will necessarily lead to a worsening of their cognitive abilities," said senior researcher Dr. Leonardo Ferreira, from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "Rather, it may actually protect against developing dementia." Dr. Ferreira noted that while this study showed a reduced risk of dementia for people on metformin, it cannot say whether or not the medication caused the difference observed. However, he added that since most cases of dementia are due to Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by brain cell death, this study does show that metformin may help prevent this type of cell death.