Could these over-the-counter drugs have more extensive long-term benefits? Depositphotos –
Researchers from the Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam tracked 11,745 adults (59.5% female, mean age 66.2 years) in an ongoing study, which has so far had two follow-ups at an average of 14.5 years later. Using statistical hazard ratios – which measure the likelihood of an adverse event occurring between populations (in this case, patterns of medication use) – they found that those who had long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) had a 12% lower risk of dementia.
Meanwhile, short-term (less than one month) and intermediate-term (one to 24 months) use turned up a slight increase in risk compared to the general population. And cumulative dose – for example, taking without consistent use – didn’t appear to be beneficial, either.
The scientists hypothesize that long-term use of these anti-inflammatories may clean out the accumulation of plaques that remain a hallmark of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the results excluded people who were carriers of the APOE-ε4 gene, a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
“Our study provides evidence on possible preventive effects of anti-inflammatory medication against the dementia process,” said corresponding author M. Arfan Ikram from Erasmus. “There is a need for more studies to further consolidate this evidence and possibly develop preventive strategies.”
[For the balance of this very interesting, and important article, please visit: https://newatlas.com/brain/alzheimers-dementia/nsaids-dementia-risk/]
The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Source: Erasmus University Medical Center via Scimex
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