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Long-Term NSAID Use Linked to Reduced Dementia Risk

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 6, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2025 -- Long-term nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use is associated with reduced dementia risk, according to a study published online March 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Ilse vom Hofe, from the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and colleagues examined long-term exposure to NSAID medication in relation to dementia risk in a study of 11,745 dementia-free participants from the prospective population-based Rotterdam Study. NASID use from 1991 was derived from pharmacy dispensing records and was classified into four mutually exclusive categories of cumulative NSAID use: nonuse, short-term use (less than one month), intermediate-term use (one to 24 months), and long-term use (more than 24 months). The association with dementia risk until 2020 was determined.

The researchers found that 81.1 percent of the participants had used NSAIDs at any given time during an average follow-up of 14.5 years; 2,091 participants developed dementia. NSAID use was associated with lower dementia risk for long-term users (hazard ratio, 0.88) and with elevated risk for short-term and intermediate-term use (hazard ratios, 1.04 and 1.04, respectively). There was no association seen for cumulative dose of NSAIDs with reduced dementia risk. Slightly stronger associations were seen for long-term use of NSAIDs without known effects on amyloid-β versus amyloid-lowering NSAIDs (hazard ratios, 0.79 versus 0.89, respectively).

"Although our results are an indication of the important role of inflammation in the treatment of dementia, they do not justify the recommendation of long-term treatment with NSAIDs for the prevention of dementia, given its potential adverse effects," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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