Androgen deprivation therapy associated with risk of alzheimer, dementia diagnoses in older men with prostate cancer

Bottom Line: Data for 154,089 older men diagnosed with prostate cancer were used to analyze the association between androgen deprivation therapy, a hormone-suppressing therapy used to treat prostate cancer, and subsequent diagnosis of Alzheimer disease or dementia. Of the men, 62,330 (average age 76) received androgen deprivation therapy within two years of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and 91,759 men (average age 74) didn’t have such treatment. Researchers report androgen deprivation therapy was associated with a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with Alzheimer disease or dementia compared with no androgen deprivation therapy over an average follow-up of eight years. The study has limitations to consider, including that the patients were Medicare enrollees and not enrolled in a health maintenance organization.

Authors: Ravishankar Jayadevappa, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and coauthors

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.6562)

Editor’s Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

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