Painkillers and dementia

Q: Did you see that ibuprofen prevents dementia?

A: No

Q: Common 3p anti-inflammatory pill ‘can help prevent dementia’ says new study.  And Prolonged Use Of Anti-Inflammatory Pills May Help Prevent Dementia: Study. And…

A: No

Q: Those quotes in the first headline imply someone really said it

A: Well, that used to be the convention, but apparently not in this case.

Q: Mice?

A: No, not mice. People

Q: Correlations, or randomised trials?

A: Correlations

Q: Is there a paper?

A:  There is a paper.

Q: Has anyone looked at this correlation before?

A: Oh my yes. So many people. There are even randomised trials. The Cochrane Review says “no evidence that it works, and it may be dangerous”

Q: What do the scientists say about that?

A: The trials were too short to show the effect, or they started too late in the disease process.

Q: Is that possible?

A: Sure, it’s possible. Lots of things are possible.

Q: So you don’t believe the paper?

A: It’s a perfectly reasonable paper for consenting scientists in private (I know some of the authors), but it doesn’t justify the recommendation of long-term treatment with these drugs for the prevention of dementia, especially given the potential adverse effects

Q: Well, that’s your opinion. What do the scientists who wrote the paper say?

A: Our results.. do not justify the recommendation of long-term treatment with NSAIDs for the prevention of dementia, given its potential adverse effects. 

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