Dementia is a major cause of death in the UK and causes significant distress for those affected and their caregivers.
Finding drugs to slow or prevent dementia has been difficult. Recently, medications like lecanemab and donanemab have shown promise in reducing brain amyloid plaques and slowing Alzheimer’s, but NICE did not approve them for NHS use.
New research from the universities of Cambridge and Exeter, analyzing health data from over 130 million individuals, suggests that antibiotics, antivirals, vaccinations, and anti-inflammatory medications might reduce dementia risk. Some already licensed drugs could be repurposed for dementia treatment.
Dr Ben Underwood, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, emphasizes the need for new treatments and suggests that repurposing existing drugs could speed up the process and reduce costs.
The study reviewed existing research and found that combining multiple studies provided stronger conclusions. They examined 14 studies with data from over 130 million people and found several drug classes linked to dementia risk.
Antibiotics, antivirals, and vaccines were unexpectedly associated with reduced dementia risk, supporting the idea that infections might trigger dementia. Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen also showed a lower risk.
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There was mixed evidence for other drug classes, with some medications linked to lower dementia risk and others to higher risk.
Dr Ilianna Lourida from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC), University of Exeter, said: “Because a particular drug is associated with an altered risk of dementia, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it causes or indeed helps in dementia. We know that diabetes increases your risk of dementia, for example, so anyone on medication to manage their glucose levels would naturally also be at a higher risk of dementia – but that doesn’t mean the drug increases your risk.”
“It’s important to remember that all drugs have benefits and risks. You should never change your medicine without discussing this first with your doctor, and you should speak to them if you have any concerns.”
Differences in study methods and drug targets might explain the conflicting evidence.
The UK government supports an Alzheimer’s trial platform to quickly and efficiently test drugs, including repurposed ones, to find new treatments faster.
Dr. Underwood expressed hope that by pooling vast health data sets, researchers can identify promising drugs faster and find new dementia treatments.
Journal Reference:
- Underwood, BU & Lourida, I et al. Data-driven discovery of associations between prescribed drugs and dementia risk: A systematic review. Alz & Dem; 21 Jan 2025; DOI: 10.1002/trc2.70037
Source: Tech Explorist
