An aspirin a day may keep dementia away, study finds

Low-dose aspirin may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research.

Previous studies have found a link between aspirin and reduced risk of the disease, but Rush University scientists took it a step further. Aspirin decreased amyloid plaque pathology in mice by stimulating the type of animal cells that can clear cellular debris, said Kalipada Pahan, Ph.D, the study’s senior author and lead research investigator.

“This research study adds another potential benefit to aspirin’s already established uses for pain relief and for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases,” said Pahan. “More research needs to be completed, but the findings of our study have major potential implications for the therapeutic use of aspirin in [Alzheimer’s] and other dementia-related illnesses.”

Results appeared in July’s The Journal of Neuroscience.