Common prescription and over-the-counter drugs could be unknowingly increasing your risk of dementia, a doctor has warned. The disorder blights the lives of millions worldwide, slowly robbing them of their memories and independence. Yet, four in ten cases could be prevented with simple lifestyle changes, according to research.
There are some factors such as smoking and drinking that can increase the risk of developing dementia — but so can some medication. Dr Zain Hasan, a Los Angeles-based anesthetist, told his 635,000 followers on TikTok that there are at least five drugs linked to the condition — including some antidepressants, painkillers and allergy meds. The first drug he included in his warning was antihistamine medication used to help ease the symptoms of allergies, as well as anticholinergics, also used to treat allergies.
These medications, some of which are available over the counter, are used to treat hayfever, eczema, hives, and conjunctivitis, which causes red and itchy eyes. However, Dr Hasan said long-term use has been linked to dementia. One 2015 US study tracked the brain health of more than 3,400 participants over 65 years old between 1994 and 2012.
Researchers found there was a link between increased doses of anticholinergics and those that developed dementia. A separate 2024 study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology also revealed a link between antihistamines and dementia. Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from Taiwan ’s National Health Insurance Research Database from 2011 to 2017.
It included more than 700,000 patients with recently-onset allergic rhinitis. They were split into groups — those that didn’t take antihistamines and those that did. After making adjustments for preexisting medical conditions, the researchers found there was a dose-dependent increase in dementia risk. Another medication that is thought to cause dementia is opiates, often used as painkillers after surgery, serious injury or for cancer patients.
Dr Hasan said: ‘This is pretty common knowledge but if you take any opiates like morphine regularly they affect your brain, they cause sedation and anything that causes sedation for a long period of time can probably end up causing dementia.’ A 2024 study , which looked at data of more than a million patients with chronic pain, of which 21,000 were opiate users, found those who used opiates had a 15 per cent higher risk of developing dementia. Researchers excluded patients that had been diagnosed with cancer, who underwent surgery and those who had a family history of dementia.
Another medication was omeprazole, which is widely used to treat indigestion and heartburn. He said: ‘If you take omeprazole regularly it can increase the amount of beta-amyloid in your brain, which can lead to dementia. ‘It works as a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), it decreases acid inside your stomach. It is actually surprising to me, I had no idea it was linked to dementia.’ One 2023 study published in the journal Neurology reported that this type of acid reflux medication has been linked with a higher risk of dementia.
Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, work to reduce acid in the stomach by inhibiting an enzyme that triggers the creation of acid. The study involved 5,712 people who were tracked over 45 years. Researchers reviewed the medications people were taking and divided them into four groups; those that had not taken PPIs, those that had for more than two years, up to four years and over four years. At the end of the study ten per cent of the patients had developed dementia. The researchers adjusted the data for several demographic and health factors and found PPI users who had taken the drugs for more than four years had a 33 per cent higher risk of developing dementia in comparison to those who never took the drug.
However, the theory that PPIs increases the amount of harmful protein in your brain therefore increasing your risk of dementia has only been shown to be the case in mice. Scientists also theorise that PPIs may lower levels of nutrient absorption, such as lowering vitamin B12 — an essential vitamin for brain health. A group of sedative drugs used to treat anxiety, insomnia and seizures called benzodiazepines — such as Valium and Xanax — are also thought to raise dementia risk if taken over a long period of time. Dr Hasan said: ‘It makes sense, it goes into your central nervous system it numbs your entire brain, it helps with anxiety, it helps with alcohol withdrawal. ‘If you take them for a long period of time especially to help you sleep at night, they can induce dementia.’
Several studies have shown a link between the drug and dementia. In one benzodiazepine study a team of researchers from France and Canada selected 2,000 people with Alzheimer’s disease and 7,000 without it. Researchers found those who had taken benzodiazepines for three to six months had a 32 per cent greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and those taking one for more than six months had an 84 per cent greater risk than those who hadn’t taken one in their lifetime. Dr Hasan also highlighted that taking tricyclics antidepressants (TCAs) — a less commonly prescribed mental health drug compared to SSRIs — could also cause dementia. He explained that the theme for all these medications is they directly impact your brain, with the exception of omeprazole.
‘They all affect your brain they cross the blood brain barrier, anything that sedates your brain for a long period of time including anesthesia can cause dementia,’ Dr Hasan warns. He urged those who are taking these medications to always speak to a doctor before stopping, especially medications like opioids and benzodiazepines. Dr Hasan also suggested those who are ‘scared or worried about dementia in the future’ to speak with a doctor about the risks. There are currently estimated to be 982,000 people with dementia in the UK. This number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. An estimated 6.7million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia today. This number could grow to 13.8 million by 2060. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 per cent of those diagnosed.
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