A research published on Wednesday in the journal Neurology by the American Academy of Neurology found that those who were prescribed erectile dysfunction medications had an 18% lower risk of receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis than those who were not. Over the course of five years, the study monitored 269,725 males, who were on average 59 years old and had never been diagnosed with dementia or cognitive impairment. Of the participants, 55% received prescriptions for erectile dysfunction medications like Cialis and Viagra, while 45% did not.
Current Medications for Alzheimer’s disease
To demonstrate that the medications are having the desired impact, however, further study is required. There is great hope that two novel medications for Alzheimer’s disease can reduce the illness’s progression in its early stages. They may alter the course of treatment for Alzheimer’s by targeting beta amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brains of those who have the disease. However, researchers are still searching for medications that are currently on the market that can stop or postpone the disease’s initial development.
Examining Erectile dysfunction medications and Alzheimer’s Risk
Treatments for erectile dysfunction work by widening blood arteries and boosting blood flow. This could also apply to the brain, where increased blood flow might aid in removing a build-up of harmful proteins closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The medications also indirectly raise acetylcholine levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter linked to memory, learning, and attention, according to research on animals. Lead author Dr Ruth Brauer stated: “More research is needed to confirm these findings, learn more about the potential benefits and mechanisms of these drugs and look into the optimal dosage.”
Accounting for Various Contributing Factors
In order to determine if the medication has any effect, the researchers also intend to conduct an experiment on females. There are several potential causes of the illness. Some of these factors, such as age, underlying medical problems, other medications used, and smoking status, were taken into account when adjusting the study’s findings.
FDA Approved Medicines
Although there is no proven treatment for Alzheimer’s, there are some FDA-approved drugs that can be used to treat the condition in its early and intermediate phases. Two such drugs are aducanumab and lecanemab. Research has demonstrated that a number of drugs prescribed for other ailments may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.
In 2022, research found that people with rheumatoid arthritis using biologics, commonly referred to as targeted synthetic DMARDs, saw a 19% decrease in the development of dementia when compared to those on alternative arthritis therapy. Another study published in 2022 found that lifelong oral birth control use is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s, whereas postmenopausal therapy for depression patients was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.
Addressing Prescription Adherence and Lifestyle Factors
One limitation of the study is that the researchers could only determine how many prescriptions the men received; as a result, they were unable to verify whether or not the men filled the prescriptions or used the medications as prescribed. Furthermore, the men’s level of physical or sexual activity was not taken into consideration; it is possible, for example, that men with erectile dysfunction had higher levels of physical and sexual activity than other men.
Brauer thinks that by including men and women in studies that address these issues, more researchers will look into the potential of erectile dysfunction drugs to treat these issues. If the connection is valid, these drugs could give people an extra line of defense against the neurodegenerative illness.
Although Dr. Francesco Tamagnini, a neurophysiologist at the University of Reading, called the research “a great study,” more conclusive data regarding the drug’s effects on the brain was still required.
