Some rheumatoid arthritis drugs may help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer disease and related dementias in individuals with cardiovascular disease, according to new findings from the ongoing Drug Repurposing for Effective Alzheimer’s Medicines (DREAM) study.

The findings do not advocate the widespread use of these drugs for treating dementias, but the results may indicate a possible use of precision medicine in certain groups of at-risk people.

The study assessed data in Medicare claims from more than 22,000 people to see if those with rheumatoid arthritis who took one of three different classes of arthritis drugs were protected from dementia.

There were no statistically significant associations with lowered dementia risk except among those with cardiovascular disease who were treated with one class of arthritis drugs called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. TNF is a substance that can cause inflammation in the body and lead to immune-system diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) DREAM study previously identified several FDA-approved drugs that are being tested as candidate treatments for Alzheimer disease and related dementias.

The research was published in JAMA Network Open and led by researchers at NIH’s NIA in collaboration with teams at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Rutgers University, and Harvard Medical School.

https://www.pharmacytoday.org/article/S1042-0991(22)00369-3/fulltext#relatedArticles