Iron-lowering drug could accelerate brain function decline for people with Alzheimer's

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-11-05 03:00

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A drug used to treat iron overload could accelerate brain function decline in people with Alzheimer's, according to Australian researchers who had originally hoped it might slow the disease. Higher levels of iron in the brain has been previously linked with faster decline in brain function, the researchers say, so they hypothesised that deferiprone, a drug used to avoid iron overload in people needing blood transfusions, could help reduce brain iron levels and slow the disease. 54 people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's were given either twice-daily deferiprone or a placebo drug for a year, with their brain function tested at the beginning, middle and end of the study. The researchers say while those given deferiprone had less iron in their brains, they showed faster brain function decline through the year compared to the placebo group. The researchers say this suggests the drug makes things worse for Alzheimer's patients rather than better.