Can long-term use of anti-inflammatory medications prevent dementia?

Past research has suggested that inflammation may contribute to the development and progression of dementia and that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications may help protect against dementia due to their anti-inflammatory effects. A new large prospective study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society provides additional evidence, showing that long-term NSAID use is linked to a decreased risk of developing dementia.

In the population-based study of 11,745 adults with an average follow-up of 14.5 years, 9,520 participants had used NSAIDs at any given time, and 2,091 participants developed dementia. Long-term NSAID use was associated with a 12% reduced risk of developing dementia. Short- and intermediate-term use did not provide benefits. Also, the cumulative dose of NSAIDs was not associated with decreased dementia risk.

The findings suggest that prolonged, rather than intensive, use of anti-inflammatory medications may help protect against dementia.

“Our study provides evidence on possible preventive effects of anti-inflammatory medication against the dementia process. There is a need for more studies to further consolidate this evidence and possibly develop preventive strategies,” said corresponding author M. Arfan Ikram, MSc, MD, PhD, of Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

Reference:

vom Hofe, I., et al. (2025) Long-Term Exposure to Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medication in Relation to Dementia Risk. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. doi.org/10.1111/jgs.19411.