Old drug, new hope: DCA may shield brain from low blood sugar in type 1 diabetes

This early-phase study tests whether dichloroacetate (DCA), a drug used safely for decades in a rare metabolic disorder, can improve brain function during low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in people with type 1 diabetes. Sixteen participants with a history of severe hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia unawareness will receive DCA or a placebo in a crossover design. The goal is to see if DCA helps maintain cognitive function and brain glucose metabolism during controlled low blood sugar episodes.