New research suggests that certain medications, including antibiotics, antivirals, vaccines, and anti-inflammatory drugs, may lower the risk of developing dementia. This study analyzed health records from over 130 million people to identify existing drugs that could potentially be repurposed to treat or prevent dementia.
Dementia is one of the leading causes of death in the UK, affecting millions of people worldwide. It places a heavy emotional burden on patients and their families and has an enormous economic impact, costing more than $1 trillion globally each year.
Despite years of research, finding effective treatments for dementia has been challenging. Most medications available so far have focused only on managing symptoms and have had limited success in slowing the disease’s progression.
Recently, drugs like lecanemab and donanemab have shown promise in reducing amyloid plaques, which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. However, these treatments have not been widely approved because their benefits were deemed insufficient for routine use.
As a result, scientists are now exploring whether medications already approved for other conditions might also help with dementia. This approach could save time and money since these drugs have already been tested for safety.
A team led by researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Exeter conducted a detailed review of existing studies to investigate this idea. They analyzed 14 studies that included data from more than 130 million people and over 1 million cases of dementia. Their findings highlighted certain drug categories that might reduce dementia risk.
Surprisingly, antibiotics, antivirals, and vaccines were linked to a lower likelihood of developing dementia. This supports the idea that infections, whether viral or bacterial, may play a role in triggering common forms of dementia.
For example, research has suggested that vaccines, such as the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis, might lower the risk of dementia.
The researchers also found that anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen were associated with reduced dementia risk. This finding aligns with growing evidence that inflammation contributes to many diseases, including dementia. Some genetic factors that increase the risk of dementia are also linked to inflammation, further supporting this connection.
However, the results were not entirely consistent. For instance, certain blood pressure medications, antidepressants, and diabetes treatments were associated with both increased and decreased risks of dementia, depending on the specific drug and study.
This inconsistency could be due to differences in how studies were conducted or how data was analyzed. It also reflects the fact that even within the same drug class, medications can target different biological processes.
Dr. Ilianna Lourida, one of the study’s lead researchers, emphasized that just because a drug is linked to a change in dementia risk does not mean it directly causes or prevents the disease. For example, people with diabetes are at higher risk of dementia, so they may appear to have a higher risk simply because they are taking diabetes medications.
It’s essential to understand these associations carefully before drawing conclusions. Dr. Lourida also reminded patients to consult their doctors before making any changes to their medications.
To speed up the search for new dementia treatments, the UK government is funding an initiative to test drugs, including those being repurposed from other uses.
Dr. Ben Underwood, another researcher on the study, highlighted that pooling data from large health databases can help prioritize which drugs to test first, potentially leading to faster results for patients.
This study offers hope for finding more effective treatments for dementia by exploring medications already available. While further research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the best candidates for clinical trials, the results suggest a promising path forward.
By repurposing existing drugs, scientists may be able to bring much-needed treatments to dementia patients more quickly and affordably.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about dietary strategies to ward off dementia, and how omega-3 fatty acids fuel your mind.
For more health information, please see recent studies about Choline deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and what to eat (and avoid) for dementia prevention.
The research findings can be found in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.
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