Dementia is a general term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect one’s memory and cognitive function. It develops over time, mainly affecting older individuals. There is no cure for dementia currently available, but there are treatments that help alleviate some of its symptoms. While there are some new drugs on the market that have the potential to slow the progress of dementia, they are often quite expensive and don’t work for everyone. A new study, however, has revealed that the use of certain prescription drugs has been linked to a lower dementia risk. Reducing dementia risk may be as simple as taking antivirals, antibiotics, and vaccines when required.
The Study On Reducing Dementia Risk
The researchers examined the health data from 130 million individuals, which included one million individuals previously diagnosed with dementia. After identifying potential links between dementia risk and prescription drugs, the researchers conducted a systematic review of 14 other studies. The aim of this review was to explore these potential links in greater depth and try to learn which of the prescription drugs could affect dementia risk. Based on their findings, they concluded that anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibiotic medications were all linked to a lower dementia risk. They also discovered a link between the use of certain vaccines and reduced dementia risk, such as the typhoid, hepatitis A, and diphtheria vaccines. However, further studies are needed to learn the impact of various factors, since it is not known how long or how often the participants had used the drugs during their lifetime.
The Theory That Infections Can Trigger Dementia
Researchers believe that these protective effects are due to these drugs’ anti-inflammatory properties, their ability to control infections, and boost brain health overall. This bolsters the theory that certain types of dementia may potentially be triggered by bacterial and viral infections. Health practitioners are already aware of the fact that persistent infections can cause damage to the brain. Viral or bacterial infections that last up to several weeks cause an excessive bodily immune response, potentially resulting in brain cell damage. However, antibiotics and antivirals help fight off these infections, lessening the need for such a strong immune response. Furthermore, taking certain vaccines will prevent these infections from happening to begin with. Another study also revealed a link between the BCG vaccine and a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Dementia and Inflammation
The study found that anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen were likely helpful in protecting people from memory decline. This once again reaffirms the idea that inflammation plays a key role in the development of dementia. Whenever your body experiences infection or injury, inflammation is your body’s natural defensive response. Yet, prolonged inflammation can cause damage to the body, especially the brain. This is due to the release of chemicals that can potentially damage otherwise healthy tissue. They also have the potential to cause damage to brain cells and interfere with their ability to communicate, ultimately resulting in memory loss. However, drugs with anti-inflammatory properties block the inflammation-inducing molecules, thus protecting brain cells from damage.
Inconsistent Results For Other Prescription Drugs
Other types of drugs were also tested for similar benefits, but their results were less consistent. For example, they found that some antidepressants, blood-pressure medications, and diabetes prescriptions were associated with both higher and lower risks. This could be due to the fact that these drugs all impact different processes. Even those that have been developed to treat the same issue could affect different mechanisms, which could account for the inconsistent results. The issue with diabetes medications is that individuals diagnosed with diabetes already have a higher dementia risk. This makes it harder to figure out whether this link was because of the effects of the medications or diabetes itself.
More Research on Reducing Dementia Risk Required
These new findings are certainly interesting. However, more studies will need to be conducted to learn more about how these drugs may influence dementia risk. Furthermore, much could be learnt about the causes of dementia by examining the biological mechanisms affected by these pharmaceuticals. This study emphasizes the need for treating inflammation and infections as part of a larger approach for maintaining brain function. Furthermore, by discovering new applications for current medications, scientists could give treatments to patients faster, thereby providing hope in the fight against dementia.
Read More: Getting the Shingles Vaccine Could Lower Dementia Risk — Here’s What the Research Says
