Common drugs like ibuprofen and antibiotics may reduce the risk of dementia, study suggests
Common medications such as ibuprofen and antibiotics may reduce the risk of dementia, a study suggests.
Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Exeter have identified several drugs – already approved and in use – that could potentially be repurposed to treat dementia.
Antibiotics, some vaccines, antivirals and anti-inflammatory drugs were all associated with a reduced risk of dementia, the review of data involving more than 130 million people found.
The findings support the theory that some common forms of dementia may be caused 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 this area of research should be prioritized.
Dr. Ben Underwood, from the Department of Psychiatry in Cambridge, said: We urgently need new treatments to slow the progression of dementia, if not prevent it.
‘If we can find drugs that are already licensed for other conditions, we can get them into trials and – crucially – potentially make them available to patients much, much faster than we could for a brand new drug.”
Common medications such as ibuprofen and antibiotics may reduce the risk of dementia, a study suggests (stock image)

Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Exeter have identified several drugs – already approved and in use – with the potential to be repurposed to treat dementia (stock image)
The fact that they are already available is likely to reduce costs and therefore increase the chances of them being approved for use by the NHS.”
It is estimated that around one million people suffer from dementia, the leading cause of death in Britain.
There are currently no approved treatments to prevent the disease, with the slowing effects of lecanemab and donanemab considered too little to warrant any rollout within the NHS.
Vaccines linked to a reduced risk in the study include hepatitis A, typhoid (the combined vaccines) and diphtheria, which reduce the risk by up to a third (32 percent).
Previous research has suggested that the BCG vaccine, which protects against tuberculosis, could also have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Antipsychotics, antihypertensives, diabetes medications and some antidepressants were associated with an increased risk, according to the findings published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions.
But the authors emphasized that the finding of increased risk could be due to other factors.
For example, someone with early dementia may be prescribed an antidepressant due to an altered mood, so that the link with antidepressants may be caused by the dementia, rather than the other way around.

Dr. Ilianna Lourida from the University of Exeter said: ‘Just because a particular drug is associated with an altered risk of dementia, this does not necessarily mean it causes or even helps dementia.
‘For example, we know that diabetes increases the risk of dementia, so anyone taking medication to control their glucose levels is of course also at a higher risk of dementia – but that doesn’t mean the medication increases your risk.
“It’s important to remember that all medications have benefits and risks.”
Dr. Richard Oakley, from the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime, making this the biggest health and social care problem of our time.
‘If we can reuse medicines that have already been shown to be safe and approved for use for other conditions, this could save millions of pounds and decades needed to develop a new dementia drug from scratch and bring us closer to beating dementia.’