Common drugs like ibuprofen could be associated with reduced risk of dementia
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Repurposing current drugs to tackle dementia is an ‘urgent priority’, academics say, but other experts warn more work is needed before they can be used to help treat the disease. Scientists hope to investigate whether common drugs could be used to help fight dementia after ibuprofen and some prescription antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines were associated with a reduced risk of the condition.
![[Dementia is a leading cause of death in the UK and one in three people will develop it]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/13/16/Dementia_Risk_61288.jpg)
Dementia is a leading cause of death in the UK and one in three people will develop it, making it “the biggest health and social care issue of our time” according to the Alzheimer’s Society. “Understanding whether drugs in current use could be re-purposed for use in dementia is an urgent priority,” the academics leading on the report said, but other experts stressed more work needs to be done before these medications could be used to treat the condition.
The team found the corticosteroid prednisone, the antibiotic amoxicillin, and vaccines including tuberculosis, hepatitis A and diphtheria jabs were associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia. They further found diabetes drugs, vitamins and supplements, and antipsychotics were associated with an increased risk, but other classes of treatment including some blood-pressure medications and antidepressants showed conflicting evidence.
