A new systematic review published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions investigates the association between prescribed drugs and dementia risk. Led by researchers from the University of Cambridge and Exeter, the study draws on the analysis of 14 studies that used large clinical datasets, involving data from over 130 million individuals and 1 million cases of dementia. The review comes at a time of growing interest in drug repurposing for dementia treatment. Although the researchers found inconsistencies between studies in identifying individual drugs that affect the risk of dementia, several key findings emerged. Antimicrobials, vaccines and anti-inflammatory drugs were found to be associated with a reduced risk of dementia, while medications used to treat diabetes as well as vitamins, supplements and antipsychotics were linked to an increased risk. Antihypertensives and antidepressants were found to have mixed effects, with some studies showing both increased and decreased risk. This review represents the largest data-driven analysis to date of the relationship between prescribed medications and dementia risk. The authors suggest that their findings can help prioritise drugs for repurposing and guide future research.
