Aspirin may help ward off Alzheimer's

USA Today

Regular use of aspirin, or similar painkillers, may prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

The findings bolster the hope that researchers will find a shield against Alzheimer's, a progressive brain disorder that slowly robs people of their minds and afflicts 4 million people in the United States.

John Breitner, a researcher at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle and his colleagues, knew that other studies had suggested that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, might help delay the onset of Alzheimer's.

The team recruited more than 5,000 people age 65 and older who did not have Alzheimer's. The team asked the recruits if they regularly took NSAIDS. The team noted how many developed Alzheimer's during the three-year study.

A statistical analysis suggested people taking ibuprofen or naproxen had about a 70 percent reduction in risk. Those taking aspirin lowered their risk of Alzheimer's by about half, he says.

The findings suggest that these drugs help only when taken several years before the onset of symptoms.

A variety of factors may cause Alzheimer's, but some studies suggest a toxic protein in the brain called beta amyloid may play a role in the development of the disease and that aspirin and similar drugs may help stave off Alzheimer's by reducing the amount of beta amyloid in the brain.

But experts say people shouldn't pop aspirin solely to stave off Alzheimer's because aspirin and other drugs can cause stomach bleeding.