Long-term use of over-the-counter drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen may help prevent dementia, a [new study](https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.19411?utm_campaign=publicity&utm_content=WRH_3_3_25&utm_medium=email&utm_source=publicity&utm_term=JGS) suggests.
Researchers say NSAID medications may protect the brain by suppressing inflammation, a suspected driver of dementia.
Their study followed nearly 12,000 healthy adults for more than 14 years on average. During that time period, close to 2,100 were diagnosed with dementia.
But the data showed participants who used NSAIDs in the long term were 12% less likely to develop the memory-robbing condition.
Short- and intermediate-term use had no significant benefit, according to the results. And neither did the cumulative dose.
The authors say while these findings are important and warrant further investigation, “… they do not justify the recommendation of long-term treatment with NSAIDs for the prevention of dementia, given its potential adverse effects.”
NSAIDs have been linked to stomach ulcers and bleeding in some people, especially older adults.
Source: [Journal of the American Geriatrics Society](https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.19411?utm_campaign=publicity&utm_content=WRH_3_3_25&utm_medium=email&utm_source=publicity&utm_term=JGS)
Author Affiliations: Erasmus University Medical Center