A new study has found that antibiotics, antiviral medications, vaccines and anti-inflammatory medications are associated with a reduced risk of dementia.
Scientists from the universities of Cambridge and Exeter, both in the United Kingdom, combed through 14 studies that used large sets of clinical data and medical records, analyzing data from more than 130 million individuals and one million cases of dementia.
Despite finding a lack of consistency across studies in identifying medications that affect dementia risk, researchers have identified several drug classes associated with dementia. changed risk.
According to , one of the most unexpected discoveries was the association between antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines, and a reduced risk of dementia. This fact supports the hypothesis that these diseases can be triggered by viral or bacterial infections.
Os anti-inflammatoriessuch as ibuprofen, have also been associated with a reduced risk. However, the discovery did not surprise scientists, as some genes that increase the risk of the disease are part of the inflammatory pathways.
“If a particular medication is associated with an altered risk of dementia, this does not necessarily mean that it causes or helps the disease to progress. We know, for example, that diabetes increases the risk of dementia, so anyone taking medication to control their glucose levels is also at greater risk of dementia – which does not mean that the medicine increases the risk”, highlighted researcher Ilianna Lourida, from the University of Exeter.
“It is important to remember that all medications have benefits and risks. Never change your treatment without discussing the matter with your doctor”, added the specialist.
Currently, the British Government is supporting the development of a test platform dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease to quickly and efficiently evaluate medicines, namely repurposed medicines currently used to treat other conditions.
The hope of the scientific community is that it can find new treatments for dementia and speed up the process of getting them to the patients who need them most.
The findings were recently published in Alzheimer s & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.
