New Study Reveals Prescription Drug Could Prevent 1 Million Dementia Cases Per Year

A medication that’s already prescribed to millions of people around the world could have an unexpected benefit: helping to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the takeaway from new research by UVA Health, and scientists are now pushing for clinical trials to see just how effective this drug might be in a completely different battle.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting memory, thinking, and behavior. It’s a progressive condition, meaning it gets worse over time.

In the early stages, people may forget recent events or conversations. As it advances, it becomes harder to manage daily activities without assistance. Eventually, it can lead to severe mental decline and death.

There’s no cure yet, and the best treatments only aim to slow the decline or ease symptoms. In the U.S. alone, around 6.9 million people over the age of 65 are living with Alzheimer’s. Globally, more than 55 million people have dementia, most of them likely due to Alzheimer’s. So, any new lead is big news.

This new study addresses that issue. The UVA research team focused on a class of drugs known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, or NRTIs.

These are typically used to treat HIV and hepatitis B, and they work by blocking enzymes the virus needs to replicate. What makes this interesting in the context of Alzheimer’s is that the same drugs also seem to block specific proteins in the body called inflammasomes, which have been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Memory lapses are often one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, who led the study, explained that NRTIs were already known to affect inflammasomes, giving the team a reason to dig deeper. So, they took a massive amount of medical records—14 years’ worth from a commercial insurance database and 24 years from the Veterans Health Administration—and looked at more than 270,000 patients aged 50 and older who were taking medication for HIV or hepatitis B.

The findings were surprising. Patients taking NRTIs had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who weren’t, even compared to people using other types of HIV medication.

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NRTIs show promise for Alzheimer’s prevention.

In one dataset, the risk of Alzheimer’s dropped by 6% for each year the patient was on NRTIs. In contrast, the annual drop was even steeper at 13% per year.

Those numbers add up fast. UVA Health estimates that more than 10 million people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s each year. Based on the study’s findings, that figure could potentially be reduced by around one million cases annually, just by using drugs that already exist.

It’s a hopeful development, but not a done deal. The researchers aren’t suggesting that people should take NRTIs as a preventative measure. These drugs can come with side effects, and they’re not approved for use outside their intended viral targets.

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This drug could prevent as many as one million cases each year.

However, Dr. Ambati and his team have also developed a new drug they call K9, which targets the same inflammasomes as NRTIs but is designed to be safer and more effective. K9 is already in clinical trials for other diseases, and they hope to begin testing it for Alzheimer’s next.

In the meantime, they’re urging formal clinical trials of NRTIs in people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s. If those trials back up the observational data, it could open a new path toward slowing or preventing the disease.

“This is a promising step,” said Ambati. “We’re looking at a class of drugs that have been around for decades, are well understood, and could make a real difference in the lives of millions.”Getty Stock Images

Expert Insights on Alzheimer's Prevention

Dr. Andrew Weil, a leading integrative medicine expert, emphasizes the importance of lifestyle choices in preventing cognitive decline. He states that factors such as diet, exercise, and mental engagement play crucial roles in maintaining brain health.

Research shows that a Mediterranean diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants can significantly reduce Alzheimer's risk. Dr. Weil advocates for a holistic approach, integrating physical activity with cognitive challenges to enhance neuroplasticity.

He suggests regular activities like puzzles, reading, and social interaction to keep the mind sharp, ultimately contributing to a healthier aging process.

Dr. David Allen, productivity expert, highlights the role of stress management in cognitive health. He notes that chronic stress can accelerate neurodegeneration, emphasizing the need for effective stress-reduction techniques.

Mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, and regular physical activity can be effective methods to combat stress. Dr. Allen encourages individuals to incorporate these practices into their daily routines to improve both mental clarity and emotional resilience.

By managing stress proactively, individuals can potentially lower their risk of developing conditions like Alzheimer's, paving the way for a healthier future.

There’s still a lot we don’t know, and any potential treatment will require thorough testing before it sees real-world use. Yet, given how painstakingly slow Alzheimer’s research has been, discovering a viable candidate among drugs already on pharmacy shelves feels like a genuine breakthrough.

It speeds up the timeline since safety profiles are already established and offers renewed hope to scientists racing against time and families desperately waiting for something that actually works.

In conclusion, the potential of existing medications to prevent Alzheimer's disease is a promising avenue for further research. Experts like Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. David Allen emphasize the importance of lifestyle factors alongside pharmacological interventions. Adopting a wholesome diet, engaging in regular physical and mental activities, and managing stress effectively can contribute significantly to cognitive health.

As we await the outcomes of clinical trials, it’s essential for individuals to proactively implement these preventive strategies now. A multifaceted approach could significantly mitigate the risk of dementia in the future.