Could Your Medicine Cabinet Hold the Key to Dementia Prevention?

Some medications might just have a hidden talent: reducing the risk of dementia. A new study from Cambridge and Exeter universities looked at existing drugs to see if they could pull double duty as dementia treatments. Basically, can our current meds do more than we thought? The research team dove into data from 14 previous studies, encompassing over 130 million patients and a million dementia cases. The results, published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, point to several prescription drug classes that seem to influence dementia risk. Dr. Ben Underwood from the University of Cambridge emphasized the urgency of finding new ways to slow down or even prevent dementia. "If we can find drugs that are already licensed for other conditions, then we can get them into trials and — crucially — may be able to make them available to patients much, much faster than we could do for an entirely new drug." So, what’s on the list of potential dementia fighters? According to the study, **antibiotics, antivirals, anticoagulants (blood thinners), and anticonvulsants (seizure meds) are all linked to a reduced risk**. Even more surprising, four vaccines – hepatitis A, typhoid, a combo of both, and diphtheria – also showed a similar connection. The researchers suggest that this supports the idea that common dementias could be triggered by viral or bacterial infections, which is definitely something to consider. Anti-inflammatory meds, like ibuprofen, also made the cut for reducing dementia risk. "Inflammation is increasingly being seen to be a significant contributor to a wide range of diseases, and its role in dementia is supported by the fact that some genes that increase the risk of dementia are part of inflammatory pathways," the release stated. On the flip side, some drugs were associated with an increased risk of dementia, notably antipsychotic medications. And for drugs targeting blood pressure, depression, and diabetes, the evidence was, let’s just say, all over the place. Currently, the U.S. has two approved Alzheimer’s treatments: lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla). These monoclonal antibodies aim to reduce amyloid plaques in the brain, but they're really only effective in early-stage Alzheimer's and come with potential side effects. Dr. Chris Vercammen, an internal medicine physician specializing in geriatrics and palliative care, highlighted the value of personalized care, addressing both the needs of patients and their caregivers. The researchers did point out that the individual studies had different methodologies and data collection methods, which could introduce some limitations. But hey, at least they're upfront about it! Lourida stressed the importance of discussing any medication changes with your doctor, because every drug has its own set of benefits and risks. This study might open new doors in how we approach dementia prevention and treatment. But, as always, more research is needed. Don't go changing your meds just yet!