Pharmaceuticals (Basel)

Could commonly prescribed HIV drugs reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

May 1, 2024

Researchers found that patients with HIV who were ≥60 years of age and therefore at risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and who were prescribed nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors (NRTIs) had a significantly reduced incidence of new AD compared with patients with HIV who were not prescribed NRTIs over the 2.75-year observation period. Based on these findings, prospective clinical trials and the development of next-generation agents targeting brain RTs are warranted.

• Eligible participants were aged ≥60 years, without pre-existing AD diagnoses, and pursued medical services in the U.S. from October 2015 to September 2016. Cohorts 1 (N = 46,218) and 2 (N = 32,923) had HIV. Cohort 1 had prescription claims for at least one NRTI within the exposure period; Cohort 2 did not. Cohort 3 (N = 150,819) had medical claims for the common cold without evidence of HIV or antiretroviral therapy.
• The cumulative incidence of new AD cases over the ensuing 2.75-year observation period was lowest in patients with NRTI exposure and highest in controls.
• Age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratios showed a significantly decreased risk for AD in Cohort 1 compared with Cohorts 2 (HR 0.88, p < 0.05) and 3 (HR 0.84, p < 0.05). Sub-grouping identified a decreased AD risk in patients with NRTI exposure but without protease inhibitor (PI) exposure.

Source:

Chow TW, et al. (2024, March 22). Pharmaceuticals (Basel). Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Exposure Is Associated with Lower Alzheimer's Disease Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Proof-of-Concept Study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38675371/