People who have chronic rheumatoid arthritis are well aware of the benefits that arthritis medication presents. But it turns out that arthritis medication may not just help soothe aching joints. It may, according to recent data, play a part in helping to deter Alzheimer’s Disease.
A study by Oxford University and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre analyzed over 5,800 people living with arthritis. They compared 3,876 patients who took disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), particularly the medication methotrexate, with 1,938 patients who abstained from the medication. The results? Well, to the surprise of many, turn out to be promising when it comes to the ability of Arthritis drugs in producing results outside of their domain of specification.
Interpreting the Data
The study concluded the people on the anti-inflammatory medication had approximately half the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The findings, which were published in the journal Alzheimer’s And Dementia: Translational Research And Clinical Interventions, truly served as good news for many, and the research appears, to many healthcare professionals, to be quite indicative of the benefit of Alzheimer’s medication.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately 1.5 million Americans and about 5.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre professor, Chris Edwards said: “The results we’ve seen make us optimistic that we are getting closer to better treating this neurological disease and supports further investigation in clinical trials to confirm if these drugs can be used to prevent or treat dementia.”
Continuing the Research
Currently, there is not a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, so these findings are extremely fascinating for those actively searching for a lasting remedy, as well as for the millions of people enduring this disease.
Alzheimer’s Society is now funding Queen’s University professor, Dr. Bernadette McGuiness, to continue this research. McGuiness, who is working with Chris Edwards to further this promising research, is looking at a group of drugs for arthritis that could be repurposed to help reduce certain inflammation that is often tied to the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. While the results are still far from conclusive, they are certainly well-documented, as well as promising for many.