Prolonged use of anti-inflammatory pills can prevent dementia: Study

New Delhi, March 5: Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications may decrease the risk of developing dementia, claimed a study on Wednesday. Previous research has suggested that inflammation may contribute to the development and progression of dementia. The NSAID medications, with their anti-inflammatory effects, can 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, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

The researchers focussed 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 participants developed dementia. The results, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, showed that long-term NSAID use was associated with a 12 per cent reduced risk of developing dementia. Short- and intermediate-term use did not provide benefits. Also, the cumulative dose of NSAIDs was not associated with decreased 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 the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, that looked at health data from over 130 million individuals showed that antibiotics, antivirals, vaccinations, and anti-inflammatory medication are associated with 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, every year, there are nearly 10 million new cases of dementia 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 per cent of cases.