Antibiotics, Antivirals, and Anti-Inflammatories Linked to Redu…

Reviewed By Gilmore Health's Medical Team | On: February 26, 2025

New research has identified a link between prescription drugs (such as antibiotics, antivirals and anti-inflammatory drugs) and lower risk of dementia

Notable anti-inflammatory drugs linked with a low risk of dementia include members of the class of drugs known as NSAIDs.

The potential protective effects of antivirals and antibiotics may arise from their ability to fight against infections

By preventing infections, vaccines may also be protective against dementia

Dementia refers to a group of neurodegenerative disorders whereby the individual has problems with retention, thinking, and behavior. There are a few things that have been linked to the development of dementia. Some of these “risk factors” include old age, smoking and consumption of alcohol, and even hypertension.

Though the focus of many studies, especially in recent times, dementia is still relatively poorly understood. It is not surprising therefore that this disease remains incurable even though it was first diagnosed over a hundred years ago.

Research by scientists in Cambridge has shown that prescription drugs like antivirals, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs may be associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia.

The study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, is a systematic review of 14 other studies. It included health record data of over 130 million people, including a million with diagnosed dementia.

To identify the papers suitable for this study, the lead author, Benjamin R. Underwood, and his colleagues extensively searched various research databases including MEDLINE, Embase, and PsychINFO. They developed a comprehensive search strategy using a combination of terms around dementia, its medications, and electronic health record fields. The study considered studies that met their eligibility criteria from the inception of these databases. Their criteria included studies that:

Examined the association between prescribed medication use in adults and the incidence of dementia or

Examined the link between several potential predictors with at least one of these predictors being medication use.

Going through these different studies, the researchers observed that people who took prescription drugs (including antivirals, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs) were at a lower risk of developing dementia. Anti-inflammatory drugs found to have this effect were members of the class of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Examples of the drugs in this class include ibuprofen and diclofenac.

This led them to observe a potential association between these drugs and a lower risk of developing dementia, though causation has not been established.

Previous studies have shown that inflammation plays an important role in the development of many forms of dementia. As a rule of thumb, when the brain tissue gets inflamed, immune cells in the brain known as microglia get recruited. This causes them to release various substances called inflammatory mediators. Aside from protecting the brain, these mediators could end up worsening the already existing damage especially when the inflammation becomes prolonged.

This is exactly what happens in Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of the disease. In Alzheimer’s disease inflammatory mediators that get released due to the presence of Aβ and tau proteins not only attempt to destroy these harmful substances but can also cause their overproduction.

The researchers explained the possible role of anti-inflammatory drugs in reducing the risk of dementia with their ability to reduce inflammation.

Before now, it has been shown that viruses and bacteria may underlie the development of certain forms of dementia. This is supported by epidemiological data that have linked infection to an increased risk of dementia. Therefore the study theorized that the potential effect of antivirals and antibiotics may be linked to their ability to fight infections which are linked with the condition.

Commenting on their results, the lead author said, “Our findings support these hypotheses and lend further weight to these agents as being potentially disease-modifying or preventative for dementia”

Are these medications available over the counter? Yes, some of these medications are available over the counter. An example of these medications include ibuprofen, an NSAID.

Are there any risks if I take these drugs for a long time? Yes, like most medications, some risks come with taking them long-term. For instance, you could develop stomach ulcers or worsen your stomach ulcer if you take NSAIDs for a long time. Also, aside from the specific side effects of taking certain antibiotics and antivirals, you could develop antibiotic resistance if you take these medications for a long period. That’s why these medications should only be taken when medically necessary.

Should I ask my doctor about taking these medications for dementia prevention? Yes, if you’re concerned about dementia risk, it’s best to discuss overall prevention strategies with your doctor.

Aside from antivirals, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs, are there other drugs with similar benefits? Yes, besides the drugs covered in this article, the study also observed that certain drugs for lowering blood pressure and blood sugar and treating depression also offered protection against the development of dementia. However, this link was less consistent.

The findings from this study offer a glimmer of hope in the fight against dementia. Until now, most advice on lowering the risk for it has been focused on lifestyle modifications such as eating healthy, exercising, and avoiding cigarette smoking and alcohol. While these results are promising, they do not yet confirm that medications can actively prevent dementia. Other factors, such as healthcare access and underlying health conditions, may influence these findings. More rigorous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to determine any direct protective effect.

However, it is important to note that these findings have a long way to go before they become applicable clinically. There is a need for more research regarding a few grey areas of this study. For instance, we are not sure how long the participants had been on these drugs before the study. Hence it is important to understand how differences in exposure to these drugs may affect their effects.

References

Underwood, B. R., Lourida, I., Gong, J., Tamburin, S., Tang, E. Y. H., Sidhom, E., Tai, X. Y., Betts, M. J., Ranson, J. M., Zachariou, M., Olaleye, O. E., Das, S., Oxtoby, N. P., Chen, S., & Llewellyn, D. J. (2025). Data‐driven discovery of associations between prescribed drugs and dementia risk: A systematic review. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.70037

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