US Pharm. 2017;42(2):26.

Montreal, QC—A large-scale, population-based study has concluded that the use of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) to treat advanced prostate cancer is not associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at McGill University assembled a cohort of about 31,000 men from the United Kingdom’s Clinical Practice Research Datalink who were newly diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer over a 27-year period. Compared with nonuse, ADT was not associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. These results contradict an earlier study that proposed that ADT doubled the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Additional studies in different settings are needed to confirm these findings.

To comment on this article, contact rdavidson@uspharmacist.com.