New research shows that repurposing existing drugs, such as antivirals, antibiotics, and vaccines may help combat dementia.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Exeter, as reported by The Guardian, discovered that these medications are linked to a reduced risk of dementia, supporting theories that infections may play a role in triggering certain cases of the disease.
The study analyzed data from 14 large-scale investigations, covering over 130 million individuals and more than 1 million dementia cases.
While the findings were not entirely consistent, researchers identified promising connections between specific medications and a lower risk of dementia.
However, some experts were hesitant. Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Julia Dudley says that recommending these drugs to prevent dementia is too early.
Nevertheless, some are filled with hope. Ben Underwood from the University of Cambridge emphasized the urgency of finding effective treatments for dementia. “If we can repurpose already-licensed drugs, we may be able to make them available to patients much faster than developing entirely new medications,” he said.
Richard Oakley of the Alzheimer’s Society also gave his support. He said: “This approach could save millions and drastically cut the time needed to develop effective dementia treatments.”
