Daily Aspirin Won't Stop Dementia, Study Finds

A study in Neurology suggests that taking low-dose aspirin daily may not prevent dementia, according to U.S. News & World Report . The anti-inflammatory effects of aspirin have been hyped as protection against cognitive problems from Alzheimer's and other dementias, but the large randomized trial implies that the drug will not decelerate mental decline. "The findings are very relevant to the care of older people and indicate that aspirin should not be prescribed solely on the basis of potential cognitive benefits," said Joanne Ryan of Monash University. Since aspirin benefits people with heart disease, it has been thought that it may also reduce dementia risk by lowering the risk of inflammation and small clots or by preventing blood vessel constriction in the brain. Ryan's team gathered data on more than 19,000 seniors without dementia or heart disease, who were mostly 70 or older. Half took low-dose aspirin and the rest were given an inactive placebo, and 575 participants developed dementia. The researchers observed no difference in the risk for mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or Alzheimer's between those who took aspirin and those who did not — and neither was any difference perceived between the two groups in rate of mental decline. "These findings were consistent across men and women, different ethnic groups, and regardless of the health status of the individual when they first entered the study," Ryan said.