Doctors discover drug already on the market ‘could prevent 1 million new cases of Alzheimer's' a year
Alzheimer's affects nearly 7 million Americans, a number that's expected to spike to 13.9 million by 2060.
Given the devastating effects of this incurable disease, the hunt is on for a drug that could help prevent or slow its progression.
Now, a new study has found that nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) — a common class of medications for HIV — could dramatically decrease the risk of developing this neurodegenerative disorder.
A new study has found that a common class of medications could dramatically decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Eric Hood – stock.adobe.com
Analyzing data from over 270,000 patients aged 50 and older, researchers observed that the risk of Alzheimer's decreased by 6% to 13% for each year the patients were on NRTIs.
These results are — to say the least — incredibly promising.
'It's estimated that over 10 million people around the world develop Alzheimer's disease annually,' said Jayakrishna Ambati, founding director of the University of Virginia Center for Advanced Vision Science.
'Our results suggest that taking these drugs could prevent approximately 1 million new cases of Alzheimer's disease every year.'
NRTIs are primarily used to prevent HIV from replicating inside the body.
Ambati's team discovered that these drugs also inhibit inflammasomes — immune system components implicated in Alzheimer's development.
The risk of Alzheimer's decreased by 6% to 13% for each year the patients were on nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
Atthapon – stock.adobe.com
The next step would be to test NRTIs in clinical trials, although Ambati noted his team has already devised another drug that is going down that route.
'We have also developed a new inflammasome-blocking drug called K9, which is a safer and more effective version of NRTIs,' Ambati said. 'This drug is already in clinical trials for other diseases, and we plan to also test K9 in Alzheimer's disease.'
The study was published last week in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia.
This finding adds to a growing number of potential Alzheimer's treatments.
A compound found in rosemary and sage — carnosic acid — has been shown to reverse memory loss and reduce brain inflammation in mice with Alzheimer's, bringing their cognitive function back to near-normal levels.
A study from Stanford Medicine found that seniors who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over seven years.
And researchers at Penn State and Stanford University discovered that a certain cancer drug could restore memory and brain function in early-stage Alzheimer's models.
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New York Post
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- New York Post
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
RFK Jr. wants to allow more experimental therapies, acknowledging health risks and threat of ‘charlatans'
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The FDA now narrowly permits stem cell therapies to treat blood and immune disorders. Nearly a decade ago, the field was so loosely regulated that the agency pursued court actions to shut down rogue clinics using unauthorized treatments for a wide array of ailments. Some providers in the United States and in other countries continue to offer experimental stem cell therapies for everything from autism to Alzheimer's to erectile dysfunction. Advertisement The latest move reflects an expansion of Kennedy's drive to dismantle federal health policy to reflect his long-held views, which had so far focused mainly on vaccines, chronic diseases, food dyes and fluoride. A push to open up the field of unregulated stem cell infusions meshes with his oft-stated contention that the FDA is a 'sock puppet' for major drug companies and faces a crisis of distrust. Wellness industry products, he has claimed, are unfairly sidelined. 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Yahoo
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Trump to slash funding for flagship US HIV programme by 40pc
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