Prostate drugs such as terazosin may reduce the risk of dementia with Lewy bodies by 40%, according to a study, suggesting their potential beyond prostate health to possibly preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Research suggests that drugs for enlarged prostate, like terazosin and doxazosin, may also protect against dementia with Lewy bodies by enhancing brain cell energy production. A study of over 643,000 men showed that those on these drugs had a 40% lower risk of developing DLB, pointing to potential new uses for these medications in neurodegenerative disease prevention.
Prostate Medication’s Potential in Dementia Prevention Certain drugs commonly used to treat enlarged prostate may also decrease the risk for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), according to a new stuy. This observational finding may seem surprising, but it mirrors previous work by the University of Iowa Health Care team that links the drugs to a protective effect in another neurodegenerative condition–Parkinson’s disease. The UI researchers think that a specific side effect of the drugs targets a biological flaw shared by DLB and Parkinson’s disease, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases, raising the possibility that they may have broad potential for treating a wide range of neurodegenerative conditions.
“Diseases like dementia with Lewy bodies, or Parkinson’s disease, or Alzheimer’s disease, are debilitating and we don’t really have any good treatments that can modify the disease pro.
