Antibiotics, antivirals could help treat dementia, suggests new study
What's the story
According to a recent study, antibiotics, antivirals, and vaccines could be repurposed to fight dementia.
The strategy of using drugs approved for other conditions could greatly speed up the search for a cure.
The global prevalence of dementia is projected to nearly triple by 2050, affecting 153 million people and presenting a major challenge to health and social care systems globally.
Urgency
Need for new treatments to slow dementia's progress
Dr. Ben Underwood from the University of Cambridge stressed the urgent need for new treatments to slow down or prevent dementia.
He said if drugs already licensed for other conditions can be identified, they could be quickly introduced into trials and potentially made available to patients much faster than entirely new drugs.
This could significantly accelerate the process of finding effective dementia treatments.
Study details
Comprehensive research links common drugs to dementia risk
The research, led by the University of Cambridge and the University of Exeter, analyzed studies connecting commonly used drugs to dementia risk.
The team examined data from 14 studies involving more than 130 million people and one million dementia cases.
They also looked at prescription data and found several drugs that appeared to be connected to dementia risk.
Findings
Antibiotics, antivirals, vaccines linked to reduced dementia risk
The researchers discovered an unexpected link between antibiotics, antivirals, and vaccines and a reduced risk of dementia. This discovery supports the theory that some cases of the disease may be caused by viral or bacterial infections.
Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen were also associated with a lower risk.
The study's findings suggest there is "biological plausibility" for certain medicines to be further tested in this context.
Inconsistent results
Mixed evidence for other drug classes
The study found mixed evidence for several other classes of drugs.
Some blood pressure medications and antidepressants—and to a lesser extent, diabetes medication—were associated with a decreased risk of dementia while others were linked to an increased risk.
Despite these inconsistent results, the researchers believe their findings provide a solid foundation for further investigation into repurposing existing drugs as potential dementia treatments.
Expert views
Experts call for further investigation into repurposing drugs
Dr. Julia Dudley from Alzheimer's Research UK, however, said that it's too early to confirm if these existing drugs could be used to lower the risk of dementia. She stressed the need for further clinical trials to validate these findings.
Dr. Richard Oakley from the Alzheimer's Society, echoed this sentiment and highlighted the potential cost and time savings of repurposing already approved drugs for other conditions as dementia treatments.