Medical News Today (MNT)Can Antibiotics, Vaccines, and Antivirals Help Lower Dementia Risk?

A new systematic review from researchers at the University of Cambridge and University of Exeter analyzed data from 14 studies encompassing more than 130 million people and 1 million dementia cases. The review found associations between reduced dementia risk and several common medications, including antimicrobials, vaccines, and NSAIDs, while identifying potential increased risks with other drug categories.

Key Points:

• The review revealed that antimicrobials, vaccinations, and anti-inflammatory drugs correlated with lower dementia risk, while vitamins, supplements, antipsychotics, and diabetes medications showed associations with increased risk
• Current FDA-approved treatments for early Alzheimer’s include three monoclonal antibodies: donanemab (approved July 2024), aducanumab, and lecanemab, with donanemab showing 35% slower cognitive decline compared to placebo in patients with low/medium tau levels
• Global dementia impact affects more than 55 million people at an estimated cost exceeding $1 trillion, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for 70% of cases
• Experts emphasize the need for large-scale, longitudinal randomized controlled trials to establish causal links between specific drugs and dementia risk
• The study authors note limitations, including potential false positives and inconsistency between studies in identifying individual drugs that modify dementia risk

“…there are too many cooks in the kitchen today and if you [patients] are concerned with dementia, you should ask a specialist like myself who diagnoses and treats patients with dementia as their job.”
— Clifford Segil, DO; Neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Summaries