Common drugs like ibuprofen and antibiotics may reduce the risk of dementia, a study suggests.
Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Exeter identified several medications – already licensed and in use – with the potential to be repurposed to treat dementia.
Antibiotics, some vaccines, antivirals, and anti-inflammatory drugs were all linked to a reduced risk in dementia, the review of data involving more than 130 million people found.
The findings supports the theory some common dementias may be triggered by viral or bacterial infections, causing damage to brain cells.
Experts say it is ‘too early’ to conclude whether these drugs can have a protective effect but that the area of research must be prioritised.
Dr Ben Underwood, from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge, said: We urgently need new treatments to slow the progress of dementia, if not to prevent it.
‘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.’
Common drugs like ibuprofen and antibiotics may reduce the risk of dementia, a study suggests (stock image)
Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Exeter identified several medications – already licensed and in use – with the potential to be repurposed to treat dementia (stock image)
The fact they are already available is likely to reduce cost and therefore make them more likely to be approved for use in the NHS.’
Around a million people are estimated to have dementia, which is the leading cause of death in the UK.
There are currently no licenced treatments to prevent the disease, with the slowing effects of lecanemab and donanemab deemed too little to justify any rollout on the NHS.
Vaccines linked to a reduced risk in the study include hepatitis A, typhoid, those combined, and diphtheria, cutting the risk by up to a third (32 per cent).
Previous work has suggested that the BCG vaccine, which protects against tuberculosis, could also have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Antipsychotics, antihypertensives, drugs for diabetes and some antidepressants were linked to an increased risk, according to the findings published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions.
But the authors stressed that the finding of increased risk may be due to other factors.
For example, someone with early dementia may be prescribed an antidepressant for altered mood so the link with antidepressants could be a caused by the dementia, rather than the other way around.
Dr Ilianna Lourida, of the 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.’
Dr Richard Oakley, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime, making it the biggest health and social care issue of our time.
‘If we can repurpose drugs that have already been shown to be safe and approved for use for other conditions, this could save millions of pounds and decades it takes to develop a new dementia drug from scratch and get us closer to beating dementia.’
