Recent research indicates that certain medications typically prescribed for enlarged prostate may also lower the risk of developing dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The study suggests that these drugs could have the potential to treat various neurodegenerative conditions, as they target a shared biological flaw in DLB and other similar diseases.
The University of Iowa Health Care team has previously found a connection between certain drugs and a protective effect in another neurodegenerative condition, Parkinson’s disease. The researchers at UI believe that a specific side effect of the drugs targets a biological flaw that is shared by Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases. This raises the possibility that these drugs may have potential for treating a wide range of neurodegenerative conditions. According to the researchers, diseases like DLB, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s are debilitating and currently lack effective treatments.Disease progression can be modified, but the disease itself cannot be slowed down, says Jacob Simmering, PhD, UI assistant professor of internal medicine. The study found a neuroprotective effect similar to what is seen in Parkinson’s disease, which could potentially be used to manage or prevent other neurodegenerative diseases. The new findings were published in the medical journal Neurology® on June 19, 2024. DLB is a neurodegenerative disease.A disease that causes significant and rapid cognitive decline and dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) affects approximately one in 1,000 individuals annually and makes up 3 to 7% of all dementia cases, although it is less common than Parkinson’s disease. Due to the fact that aging is a major risk factor for DLB, it is expected to become more prevalent as the population ages.
For their recent research, the UI researchers utilized a large patient database to identify over 643,000 men who had not previously been diagnosed with DLB and were beginning treatment with one of six drugs commonly used for benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).
Among these drugs, terazosin, doxazosin, and alfuzosin (Tz/Dz/Az) were included.have an unexpected effect on the side; they can increase energy production in brain cells. Research conducted on animals suggests that this ability could potentially help in slowing down or preventing neurodegenerative diseases like PD and DLB.
The other medications, tamsulosin and two 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) known as finasteride and dutasteride, do not boost energy production in the brain and therefore serve as a useful comparison to assess the impact of the Tz/Dz/Az drugs.
The team then monitored the information about these men from the time they began taking the medication until they exited the database or developed dementia with Lewy bodies, whichever came first.The study followed a group of men for about three years. They all began taking a drug to treat the same condition, so the researchers believed they were similar at the start of the treatment. The researchers used propensity scores to match the men based on characteristics like age, the year they started the medication, and other illnesses they had before starting the treatment. The study found that men who took Tz/Az/Dz drugs were less likely to develop a diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies, according to Simmering.The research findings show that men who took terazosin-type medications had a 40% lower risk of developing a DLB diagnosis compared to those who took tamsulosin. Additionally, there was a 37% reduction in risk compared to men taking five alpha reductase inhibitors. However, there was no significant difference in risk between men taking tamsulosin and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. It’s important to note that this was an observational study, so the results only indicate an association between taking the Tz/Dz/Az drugs and a reduced risk of developing DLB, not a causal relationship. Also, the study only focused on men as the drugs are primarily prescribed to them.or issues related to the prostate, so the results may not be applicable to women. Nonetheless, Simmering and his team are optimistic about the potential of these drugs, as they are already approved by the FDA, cost-effective, and have a history of safe use over many years.
“If terazosin and similar medications can help slow down the progression of this disease, or even prevent it altogether, it could have a significant impact on preserving cognitive function and quality of life for individuals with DLB,” stated Simmering.
In addition to Simmering, the research team also included UI neuroscience experts Nandakumar Narayanan, MD, PhD, Georgina Aldridge, MD, PhD,Dr. Qiang Zhang and Dr. Alexander Hart, who is currently at the University of Michigan.