Another Potential Adverse Effect of Androgen Deprivation Therapy?

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is recommended commonly for men with metastatic prostate cancer or high-risk localized disease. ADTs include orchiectomy and drugs that reduce testosterone production or block its effects. Side effects include osteoporosis, vasomotor symptoms, sexual dysfunction, and possibly adverse cardiovascular events. In this retrospective cohort study, researchers explored a possible association between ADT and developing Alzheimer disease or dementia. They evaluated data from about 154,000 men (mean age, 75) with localized or advanced prostate cancer from a national cancer registry; 62,000 received ADT within 2 years of diagnosis, and 92,000 did not.

In unadjusted analyses, patients who received ADT were more likely …