Some prostate meds might lower the risk of Lewy body dementia Men taking terazosin, doxazosin and alfuzosin were about 40% less likely to develop the disease than those taking other prostate drugs The drugs activate an enzyme important to brain cells WEDNESDAY, June 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Prostate medications might help reduce the risk of a specific type of dementia , a new study suggests. People were less likely to develop Lewy body dementia when taking drugs designed to treat urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, researchers reported June 19 in the journal Neurology . “These results are exciting, because right now there are no drugs to prevent or treat dementia with Lewy bodies, which is the second most common neurodegenerative type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease,” said researcher Jacob Simmering , an assistant professor of internal medicine with the University of Iowa.
“If we can determine that an existing drug can offer protection against this debilitating disease, that has the potential to greatly reduce its effects,” Simmering added in a journal news release. Lewy body dementia affects more than 1 million people in the United States, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). It’s caused by the protein alpha-synuclein, which forms abnormal deposits called Lewy bodies that affect chemicals in the brain.
This form of dementia can cause thinking and memory issues, movement problems and even visual hallucinations, the NIA says. M.
