Everyday drugs 'could combat dementia'

New research has found dementia could be tackled through the use of everyday drugs.

A study funded by the Alzheimer's Society and led by King's College London found that medications used to treat hypertension, diabetes and skin conditions could be doubling as treatments for Alzheimer's in the next decade.

The research discovered four existing drugs and one drug class could reduce risk or slow down symptoms of the disease, which include memory lapses becoming more frequent.

Lead author of the study Professor Clive Ballard, who is director of research at the Alzheimer's Society and professor of age related diseases at King's College London, described beating dementia as one of the biggest challenges facing both medicine and society as a whole.

"Developing new drugs to treat the condition is incredibly important, but comes with a huge price tag and - for those affected by dementia - an unimaginable wait," he said.

Find out about dementia care and support services at Barchester care homes.