Researchers have discovered that certain drugs commonly prescribed for prostate health may also reduce the risk of dementia with Lewy bodies, a challenging neurodegenerative condition without current effective treatments.
The study focused on older men using drugs like terazosin, doxazosin, and alfuzosin and found these medications might help prevent the disease, suggesting a promising new avenue for research in dementia prevention.
Prostate Drugs and Dementia Risk
Certain drugs used to treat urinary symptoms due to an enlarged prostate may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia with Lewy bodies, according to a study published recently in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Dementia with Lewy bodies is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that can cause memory and thinking issues, movement problems, and issues such as hallucinations.
The results do not prove that these drugs reduce the risk of dementia with Lewy bodies; they only show an association.
“These results are exciting because right now there are no drugs to prevent or treat dementia with Lewy bodies, which is the second most common neurodegenerative type of dementia after DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209570