Aspirin 'can't prevent onset of Alzheimer's'

A U.S. study contradicts previous reports that long-term use of painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen could ward off the onset of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Dr Jae Hee Kang, from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, investigated the effect over a decade of low doses of aspirin on 6,400 women aged 65 and above.

In the study - published today in the online British Medical Journal - half the women took low doses of aspirin and a second group took a placebo, or dummy pill.

The women were tested at two-year intervals to measure brainpower, and other skills. Average performances were similar in both groups.

Previous research had indicated that long-term use of Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory drugs such as aspirin could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by up to 70 per cent.

However, Dr Kang said: "In this study, we observed no apparent benefit of low-dose aspirin in slowing cognitive decline."

She added: "Other methods for preserving cognitive function need to be investigated."

Millions of Britons already take small doses of aspirin every day to reduce the chance of suffering a second heart attack or stroke.

Some experts believe that a higher dosage of aspirin could help prevent dementia.

They point out that the recommended dose of 300mg for preventing heart disease - which is enough to minimise bloodclotting - may be too low to fight the inflammation thought to be associated with developing Alzheimer's.

However, Dr Susanne Sorensen of the Alzheimer's Society said: 'We would never recommend over-the-counter painkillers as an effective way of reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. This latest research backs this up.

"Painkillers have previously been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's because of their impact on the inflammatory processes seen in conditions that can cause dementia."

Dr Sorensen insisted: "There is nothing to suggest painkillers reduce the onset of Alzheimer's or other types of dementia.

"The best evidence for reducing risk remains a healthy lifestyle, with regular exercise and a balanced diet.

"A healthy heart leads to a healthy mind."

Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia affect more than 700,000 people in the UK.

Sufferers from the disease have included novelists Iris Murdoch and Enid Blyton, as well as former Labour prime minister Harold Wilson.