The prescription drugs that slash dementia risk revealed those that could raise it, from high blood pressure to diabetes

EXISTING drugs already dished retired connected the NHS could slash dementia risk, a caller survey has revealed.

While caller drugs are emerging to dainty the memory-robbing disease, experts reason that repurposing medications already utilized for different conditions could besides trim dementia risk.

"Understanding whether drugs successful existent usage could beryllium re-purposed for dementia is an urgent priority," said academics from the University of Cambridge and University of Exeter, who conducted a reappraisal of studies looking astatine drugs linked to dementia risk.

Their findings showed that definite vaccines, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics could perchance little the hazard of dementia.

The reappraisal examined 14 studies tracking the wellness of implicit 130 cardinal people, identifying astir 1 cardinal cases of dementia.

Some medications look to person a protective effect. Dr. Ben Underwood from Cambridge University said, "We urgently request caller treatments to dilatory the advancement of dementia, if not to forestall it.

"If we tin find drugs that are already licensed for different conditions, past we tin get them into trials and – crucially – marque them disposable to patients overmuch faster than for wholly caller drugs."

Vaccines for hepatitis A, typhoid, and diphtheria, arsenic good arsenic the BCG vaccine, which protects against tuberculosis, showed imaginable benefits.

The survey besides recovered that definite antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs were linked to a reduced dementia risk.

Around 944,000 Brits are presently surviving with dementia and experts foretell the numbers volition transcend 1 cardinal by the extremity of the decade.

Alzheimer’s disease is the astir communal signifier of the condition, and is thought to beryllium caused by build-ups of proteins successful the brain, including tau and amyloid.

There is presently nary cure for the disease, though promising drugs to dilatory down its advancement are presently successful trials.

The aforesaid survey besides recovered immoderate medications were linked to accrued risk.

The reappraisal recovered that antipsychotics, drugs for diabetes, immoderate antidepressants, and antihypertensives seemed to rise dementia risk.

But researchers stressed that this could beryllium owed to "reverse causation," wherever dementia causes the medicine of these medications, alternatively than the drugs expanding risk.

For instance, a idiosyncratic with aboriginal dementia whitethorn beryllium prescribed an antidepressant for debased mood, meaning the nexus to antidepressants could beryllium owed to dementia itself starring to higher prescriptions.

"The information these drugs are already disposable is apt to trim outgo and marque them much apt to beryllium approved for usage successful the NHS," Dr Underwood explained.

He highlighted that drugs already approved for different uses could velocity up trials and perchance beryllium disposable to patients much quickly.

Dr Ilianna Lourida added: "Because a peculiar cause is associated with an altered hazard of dementia, it doesn't needfully mean it causes oregon helps successful dementia.

"We cognize that diabetes increases your hazard of dementia, for example, truthful anyone connected medicine to negociate their glucose levels would people besides beryllium astatine a higher hazard of dementia – but that doesn't mean the cause increases your risk."

Dr Richard Oakley, subordinate manager of probe and innovation astatine Alzheimer's Society, said: "If we tin repurpose drugs that person already been shown to beryllium harmless and approved for usage for different conditions, this could prevention millions of pounds and decades of research.

"This survey provides immoderate groundwork and indicates which drugs should beryllium prioritised for further investigation."

While these results are promising, researchers impulse caution. Dr Julia Dudley from Alzheimer's Research UK explained: "Although these findings are interesting, it is excessively aboriginal to accidental if these medications tin trim the hazard of dementia.

"Researchers volition request to corroborate these findings successful objective trials and analyse however these medications could perchance support the encephalon against dementia."