Medications you are taking which may also help your brain

Might there be medications out there helpful for treating cognitive decline, but used for other purposes? Currently in clinical trials for dementia treatment are GLP1s (Glucagon-like peptide-1) used for diabetes and obesity, and Tidalafil (Cialis), used for erectile dysfunction. 

There are more not in clinical studies.  Another class of diabetes medication,  SGLT2’s (Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2) have shown on retrospective analysis to decrease the incidence of dementia and Parkinson’s.  Expect to see this one in clinical trials soon.  

Intriguing to me, and one I don’t expect in clinical trials due to its low cost, is Ezetimibe (Zetia),  a cholesterol lowering medication not related to statins such as Atorvastatin (Lipitor).  It was discovered by a group of researchers, who through AI (artificial intelligence), found Ezetimibe prevents clumping of proteins found in brains of people with Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, looking at retrospective data, such as the SGLT2 analysis, they found a 7 fold decrease of Alzheimer’s among those taking Ezetimibe.  

What’s more, it is relatively safe, I take it as I can’t tolerate the standard cholesterol medications.  Furthermore, it is cheap, about $10 for 90 pills.  We can’t say it prevents, halts, or reverses Alzheimer’s without a controlled clinical trial using a placebo group.  And it’s not a new medication so there is not much incentive for drug companies to conduct such trials.  

But, these are all viable options if you want to prevent Alzheimer’s, and have a condition to support taking one of the above medications. I’m excited about the future, particularly through AI, of  finding more medications we already use, and know are safe.