A study published on Wednesday suggests that long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications may reduce the risk of developing dementia.
Previous research has suggested that inflammation may contribute to the development and progression of dementia. NSAID medications, due to their anti-inflammatory effects, may help protect against dementia, which affects more than 55 million people worldwide.
“Our study provides evidence on possible preventive effects of anti-inflammatory medication against the dementia process,” said M. Arfan Ikram of Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The researchers focused their study on 11,745 adults with an average follow-up of 14.5 years. Of these, 9,520 participants had used NSAIDs at any given time, and 2,091 developed dementia.
The results, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, showed that long-term NSAID use was associated with a 12 percent reduced risk of developing dementia.
Short- and intermediate-term use did not show protective effects. Additionally, a higher cumulative dose of NSAIDs was not linked to a reduced dementia risk, the team said.
The findings suggest that prolonged, rather than intensive, use of anti-inflammatory medications may help protect against dementia.
“There is a need for more studies to further consolidate this evidence and possibly develop preventive strategies,” Ikram said.
A recent study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions analyzed health data from over 130 million individuals and found that antibiotics, antivirals, vaccinations, and anti-inflammatory medications were associated with a reduced risk of dementia.
This finding supports the hypothesis that common dementias may be triggered by viral or bacterial infections.
According to data from the World Health Organization, nearly 10 million new cases of dementia occur every year. Dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people globally.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60-70 percent of cases.
(Inputs from IANS)
