HIV Medications Could Significantly Lower Alzheimer's Risk
It's bloody time we took a closer look at those HIV meds, 'cause it seems like they're more than just a virus-fighter! Researchers from UVA Health have found that a class of HIV drugs called nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) might just help lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease[1].
With a deep dive into two major U.S. health insurance databases, the researchers discovered something unexpected. For every year that patients took these drugs, their risk of developing Alzheimer's dropped by 6% in one dataset and by a whopping 13% in the other[1]!
Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, MD, from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, spoke about the findings with Medical News Today. He stated, "We found that people taking a group of anti-HIV drugs called NRTIs had a ~10% reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease for every year that they took these drugs."
Since Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia, affecting approximately 6 million Americans, and with projections pointing to a potential doubling of that number by 2050, a preventive treatment could make a world of difference[2]. The cost of care for Alzheimer's and related dementias is also expected to soar, rising from $384 billion today to nearly $1 trillion in the coming decades[2].
So, what's the connection between these HIV meds and Alzheimer's? The researchers believe it's due to NRTIs' ability to block inflammasomes, immune system components that have been linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease[3].
Now, you might be wondering why HIV meds would have any impact on Alzheimer's, and that's a fair question. Researchers previously discovered that these drugs also block the activation of inflammasomes[3]. This finding led the team to investigate whether patients taking NRTIs, which also treat hepatitis B, might have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's.
If the upcoming clinical trials show that NRTIs can indeed help prevent Alzheimer's, the impact could be substantial. With 10 million people developing Alzheimer's disease worldwide every year[3], a 10% reduction in risk could have a massive effect.
In fact, the researchers at UVA are already working on a modified version of NRTIs called K9, which has the beneficial anti-inflammatory effect without the side effects[3]. K9 is already in clinical trials for eye diseases and is planned to be tested in Alzheimer's disease as well[3].
This potential breakthrough has also caught the attention of experts, like Professor Emeritus James Giordano from Georgetown University Medical Center. He explains, "This study strengthens the hypothesis that inflammasome-mediated inflammatory processes are operative in Alzheimer's and offers potential direction for the development of NRTI type drugs and molecular agents aimed at mitigating inflammasome development as a viable treatment - or perhaps preventive intervention - for Alzheimer's."
It's an intriguing development that could offer new hope for Alzheimer's patients and their families. So, here's to more research, more discoveries, and fewer cases of Alzheimer's in the future!
[1] https://www.virginiamedicine.org/news/headlines/hiv-meds-could-lower-risk-of-alzheimers-disease/[2] https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures[3] https://today.uvahealth.com/news/hiv-drugs-could-one-day-be-prescribed-to-prevent-alzheimers[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7010521/[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014488619312930
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Intriguingly, as of the latest information, there are no explicitly mentioned ongoing clinical trials investigating the use of NRTIs specifically for preventing Alzheimer's. However, the researchers from UVA Health are advocating for such trials based on their researches' promising findings[3].
These studies suggest that patients taking NRTIs experience a consistent, time-dependent reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's[1][2][4][5]. The potential of NRTIs to prevent Alzheimer's is linked to their ability to block inflammasomes, implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease[5][6]. While no specific clinical trials are currently listed, the researchers' call for trials indicates that this area is being explored actively[3][7].
[6] https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4844[7] https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/RT(End of Enrichment Data Integration)
- The class of HIV drugs called nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) may potentially lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease, as researchers from UVA Health have discovered.
- For each year that patients took these drugs, their risk of developing Alzheimer's dropped by 6% in one dataset and by a significant 13% in another, according to the researchers' findings.
- Since Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia and is projected to double by 2050, a preventive treatment could significantly impact the health-and-wellness of millions.
- The connection between these HIV meds and Alzheimer's stems from NRTIs' ability to block inflammasomes, immune system components that have been linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
- If upcoming clinical trials confirm that NRTIs can help prevent Alzheimer's, the impact could be substantial, as over 10 million people develop Alzheimer's disease worldwide every year.
- Researchers are already working on a modified version of NRTIs called K9, which has the beneficial anti-inflammatory effect without the side effects and is currently in clinical trials for eye diseases, planned to be tested in Alzheimer's disease as well.
- The potential of NRTIs in preventing Alzheimer's has received attention from experts in the field, with discussions about the possibility of NRTIs and molecular agents aimed at mitigating inflammasome development as a viable treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
