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Drugs with antiviral action will save from dementia
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
Doctors from the UK are proposing the use of antiviral drugs to prevent senile dementia in patients with herpes.
Taking into account the results of the latest study, doctors will soon make changes to the scheme of prevention and treatment of dementia. A couple of months ago, scientists from the University of Arizona have already proven the existence of a relationship between senile dementia and the presence of the herpes virus in the body. Thus, post-lethal analysis of brain tissue of patients who died from dementia demonstrated that most patients had the virus of the sixth and seventh types in their bodies.
This time, specialists from the University of Manchester analyzed the results of this study, as well as two other studies that examined Alzheimer's disease and herpes infection. Scientists determined that antiviral treatment and the introduction of a herpes vaccine can serve as a good preventative measure against cognitive impairment.
The experts identified a group of patients consisting of more than eight thousand people aged 50 years and older. All declared participants suffered from a confirmed herpes infection. In addition, a control group was created, consisting of 25 thousand healthy participants of the same age category. The patients were monitored for ten years. During this time, it was noted that the incidence of senile dementia in the first group was 2.5 times higher than in the second group. However, here is what particularly surprised the scientists: intensive antiviral treatment reduced the likelihood of developing dementia tenfold.
"Interestingly, intensive, albeit short-term, antiviral treatment may reduce the likelihood of developing the disease in people with confirmed herpesvirus infection," said Dr Lathe, of the University of Edinburgh. The researchers said this could be a first step in the search for ways to prevent dementia using antiviral medication.
Experts advise doctors to think about the results obtained and take into account the following fact: for patients over 50 years of age who have certain risk factors for the development of senile dementia, in the presence of a herpes infection, treatment with antiviral drugs is indicated first and foremost.
Scientists expressed hope that mass vaccination against herpes could also solve the problem of the development of age-related cognitive impairment. If vaccination were carried out in childhood, most cases of Alzheimer's disease could be prevented.
Details are presented by neurobiologist Professor Ruth Itzaki and infectious disease specialist Dr Richard Lathe on the University of Edinburgh website (www.ed.ac.uk).
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