Friday, May 30, 2008

Regular use of painkillers could cut Alzheimer's risk

A few newspapers reported a study that has found regular use of ibuprofen, aspirin and other painkillers known as NSAIDs reduces the risk of developing the Alzheimer's disease. Doctors warn that people should not take over-the-counter pain remedies to ward off dementia as there are side effects. The finding is based on a review of six studies involved almost 14,000 people.

Researchers concluded that NSAID use reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. However, they did not find that a sub-group of NSAIDs, known as the SALAs, more effective than other non-SALAs in preventing the disease. This suggests that all conventional NSAIDs have a similar protective effect in humans.

Critics say this was a review of selected studies and that the risk from bleeding need to be considered against any benefits.

Source: "No advantage of A 42-lowering NSAIDs for prevention of Alzheimer dementia in six pooled cohort studies." Neurology 2008; May 28 [Epub ahead of print]

No comments: