Antibiotics, antiviral medications, vaccines, and anti-inflammatory drugs may lower the risk of dementia, based on a new study analyzing health data from over 130 million people.
Antibiotics, antiviral medications, vaccines, and anti-inflammatory drugs may lower the risk of dementia, based on a new study analyzing health data from over 130 million people.
Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Exeter conducted this study, which highlighted various existing medications that could potentially be used to treat dementia.
Dementia is one of the leading causes of death in the UK and can cause significant emotional distress both for those affected and their caregivers. The global economic impact of dementia exceeds $1 trillion.
Despite extensive efforts to identify effective treatments to slow or prevent dementia, results have been less encouraging. Traditionally, treatments for dementia only address symptoms and offer limited effectiveness. However, new drugs like lecanemab and donanemab have been shown to decrease amyloid plaque buildup in the brain— a key factor in Alzheimer’s disease—and may slow disease progression, though the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) determined that their benefits were not sufficient to warrant approval for use in the NHS.
Researchers are increasingly investigating existing medications to see if they might be adapted for dementia treatment. Since these medications have known safety profiles, transitioning to clinical trials can be considerably quicker.
Dr. Ben Underwood, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, stated: “We urgently need new treatments to slow down dementia’s advancement, if not to prevent it altogether. If we can utilize drugs already approved for other uses, we can expedite their trial process and potentially make them available to patients far quicker than developing a new drug. The existing availability of these medications may also reduce costs, increasing the likelihood of NHS approval.”
In a study published today in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, Dr. Underwood and Dr. Ilianna Lourida from the University of Exeter spearheaded a review of scientific literature to find prescription drugs that influence dementia risk. Such systematic reviews help consolidate multiple studies with varying evidence to form stronger conclusions.
The research team analyzed 14 studies using extensive clinical data and medical records, capturing information from over 130 million individuals, including 1 million dementia cases. While they found inconsistencies among studies in pinpointing specific drugs affecting dementia risk, they still identified several classes of medications linked to altered risks.
Interestingly, antibiotics, antivirals, and vaccines were associated with a lowered risk of dementia. This suggests that common dementia types might be triggered by viral or bacterial infections, supporting recent interest in vaccines such as the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis in relation to reduced dementia risk.
Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen were also linked to a decreased risk. Inflammation is increasingly recognized as a significant factor in various diseases, including dementia, as some genes associated with increased dementia risk are involved in inflammatory processes.
However, conflicting evidence was observed concerning some drug classes. Certain blood pressure medications, antidepressants, and, to a lesser degree, diabetes treatments showed both reduced and increased risks for dementia.
Dr. Ilianna Lourida from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC) at the University of Exeter emphasized: “Just because a drug is linked to a change in dementia risk doesn’t imply it causes or positively influences dementia. For instance, since diabetes heightens dementia risk, individuals on glucose management medications might naturally face a higher risk, but that doesn’t imply the medication is the cause.”
“It’s essential to recognize that every medication has both advantages and risks. One should never modify their medication regimen without first consulting their doctor and should voice any concerns they may have.”
The conflicting results may also be attributed to differences in study methodologies and data collection, as well as the fact that medications within the same category can target various biological mechanisms.
The UK government is backing the establishment of an Alzheimer’s trial platform aimed at swiftly and effectively assessing drugs, including those repurposed from other conditions.
“Integrating these vast health data sets provides one avenue of evidence to guide us in determining which medications we should test first,” Dr. Underwood remarked. “We are optimistic that this will lead to the discovery of much-needed treatments for dementia and hasten their availability to patients.”
