Anti-Epileptic Drugs Increase Risk of Alzheimer's and Dementia

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found using anti-epileptic drugs elevates the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia, reports Medical Xpress . The continuous use of anti-epileptic drugs for a period exceeding 12 months was associated with a 15 percent higher risk of Alzheimer's disease in a Finnish dataset, and with a 30 percent greater risk of dementia in a German dataset. Comparison of different anti-epileptic drugs determined the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia was associated with drugs that impair cognitive function, which carried a 20 percent increased risk of Alzheimer's and a 60 percent increased risk of dementia. A higher dose of a drug that impairs cognitive function also raises the risk of dementia, although anti-epileptic drugs that do not impair cognitive processing were not associated with the risk. "More research should be conducted into the long-term cognitive effects of these drugs, especially among older people," argues Heidi Taipale from the University of Eastern Finland.