Arthritis drugs ‘could halve dementia risk’
"The results we've seen make us optimistic that we are getting closer to better treating [dementia]."
Professor Chris Edwards, NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre
BRITAIN: Drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis could halve the risk of patients developing dementia, a British study suggests.
Experts at Oxford University and the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre analysed the records of more than 5800 British people with arthritis. They compared 3876 patients who took disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), particularly methotrexate, with 1938 patients who did not.
The findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, found that those on the anti-inflammatory medication had approximately half the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Professor Chris Edwards, of the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, said: ‘‘Although there is medication available that can temporarily reduce some symptoms or slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, there is currently no cure for the condition. This study shows a positive link between patients taking drugs to treat arthritis and reducing their risk of developing dementia – potentially by up to 50 per cent.
‘‘The results we’ve seen make us optimistic that we are getting closer to better treating this neurological disease, and supports further investigation in clinical trials to confirm if these drugs can be used to prevent or treat dementia.’’
Rheumatoid arthritis develops when the immune system attacks the cells that line the joints. It can also affect other parts of the body, including the lungs, heart and eyes.
Edwards said the discovery showed that one of the common drugs used to treat arthritis might protect against dementia or be used to treat the disease.
‘‘As inflammation is a characteristic feature of many other conditions, including dementia, drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and reduce inflammation may also be beneficial for patients with other diseases. This has already been shown to be the case for treating patients with heart disease.’’
Professor Peter Passmore, Professor of Ageing and Geriatric Medicine at Queen’s University Belfast, said the findings were interesting and warranted further trials being carried out.
‘‘There has always been an interest in this area since early reports of a lower incidence of dementia in people with rheumatoid arthritis and the possible role, for example, of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs,’’ he said.
Dr Sara Imarisio, the head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘‘There is increasing evidence of a key role for inflammation in diseases like Alzheimer’s, and this has led researchers to investigate whether drugs used to treat inflammatory diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, could also benefit people with dementia.’’
– Telegraph Group