Doxycycline Could Reduce Schizophrenia Risk
- Analysing Finnish health records, researchers at the University of Edinburgh reported on Wednesday 5 November in the American Journal of Psychiatry that adolescents prescribed doxycycline were significantly less likely to develop schizophrenia.
- Because doxycycline can cross the blood‑brain barrier and reduce inflammation, researchers from the University of Edinburgh used an emulated target trial approach with Finnish data to investigate its brain-modulating effects linked to schizophrenia biology.
- The team analysed data from more than 56,000 adolescents, finding doxycycline users had a 30–35% lower schizophrenia risk and a 2.5% absolute risk reduction at 15 years.
- Experts say the findings highlight the potential to repurpose doxycycline as a preventive intervention for severe mental illness, but randomized controlled trials are essential before its use.
- Given marked group differences, researchers warn that marked confounding limits causal inference, and the lack of consistent dose-response and trial costs mean replication, biological work, and costly long-term randomized controlled trials are needed.
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Common acne drug may protect against schizophrenia
Scientists have discovered a surprising benefit of the acne drug doxycycline: it may lower the risk of schizophrenia. Teens prescribed the antibiotic were about one-third less likely to develop the condition as adults. The effect could stem from the drug’s ability to reduce brain inflammation. Researchers say the findings highlight an unexpected new direction in mental health prevention.
Doxycycline could reduce schizophrenia risk
Medical Watch Digest For November 5 Doxycycline could reduce schizophrenia risk A new use for an old antibiotic. Antibioitcs may do more than fight bacterial infections, they could improve mental health for some people. Patients of adolescent mental health facilities who were prescribed doxycycline were significantly less likely to develop schizophrenia in adulthood compared to patients treated with other antibiotics. The University of Edinburg…
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