Doctors have discovered that drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis could halve the risk of patients developing dementia. They compared 3,876 patients who took disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), particularly methotrexate, with 1,938 patients who did not. The findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s And Dementia: Translational Research And Clinical Interventions, found those on the anti-inflammatory medication had approximately half the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. “This study shows a positive link between patients taking drugs to treat arthritis and reducing their risk of developing dementia — potentially by up to 50%. He said: “As inflammation is a characteristic feature of many other conditions, including dementia, drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and reduce inflammation may also be beneficial for patients with other diseases.

Source: The Irish Times February 12, 2018 12:00 UTC