Prostate medicines may decrease Lewy body dementia risk, a recent study says.

Drugs terazosin, doxazosin, and alfuzosin relax the prostate and bladder muscles. Patients receiving these prostate-related urine medications were less likely to acquire Lewy body dementia, according to the research published on June 19, reported by US News & World Report.

University of Iowa assistant professor of internal medicine Jacob Simmering described the findings as "exciting news," considering that there are "no drugs to prevent or treat dementia with Lewy bodies" available as of now. 

Simmering noted that an available drug can help prevent the condition, "it has the potential to reduce its effects greatly."

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), more than 1 million Americans suffer from Lewy body dementia, a condition caused by alpha-synuclein proteins that form Lewy bodies, disrupting brain chemistry and affecting thinking, memory, movement, and causing visual hallucinations.

Further Studies Needed for Promising Dementia Treatment

These prostate therapies stimulate a brain cell energy-producing enzyme related to Parkinson's. Since Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia are similar, researchers studied if these drugs may help.

Approximately 126,000 men receiving one of the three prostate treatments were compared to approximately 517,000 men taking other prostate therapies that do not activate the enzyme. The results showed that males using one of the three treatments were 40% less likely to acquire Lewy body dementia, according to the report.

Simmering also noted that there is a need for further research "to follow people over time and determine a cause-and-effect relationship." Researchers expressed optimism that these treatments may guard against this disease, which will undoubtedly afflict more individuals as the population ages.

The research only involved men; therefore, the results may not apply to women. The NIA reports somewhat more men develop Lewy body dementia than women.

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Lewy Body Dementia: A Complex Disease

According to National Geographic, the FDA authorized two novel Alzheimer's drugs aducanumab and lecanemab, the first to target brain plaques, a few years ago.

However, aducanumab's studies reveal inconsistent results, although lecanemab slows cognitive deterioration in MCI or mild Alzheimer's. Notably, both drugs can cause brain hemorrhage and are expensive infusions (lecanemab costs $26,500 a year). Moreover, they are not approved for other types of dementias.

According to the Azheimer's Association, Alzheimer's and other dementia patients' health and long-term care expenditures are expected to exceed $360 billion in 2024, not counting unpaid care. Medicare and Medicaid are estimated to cover $231 billion (64%), and out-of-pocket expenses are $91 billion.Experts predicted that in 2050, dementia patients will spend approximately $1 trillion on health, long-term, and hospice care.

Lewy body dementia is difficult to diagnose, per the NIA. Many people mistake early its symptoms for other neurological or psychological disorders as the condition can occur alone or alongside brain abnormalities.

Health experts say that Lewy body dementia is a progressive condition: its symptoms start slowly and gradually intensify. Some patients live two to 20 years after diagnosis, although the condition usually lasts five to eight years. Health, age, and symptom intensity all impact how quickly Lewy body dementia symptoms develop. 

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