Taking arthritis drugs costing 5p a day could HALVE your dementia risk
TAKING arthritis drugs costing 5p a day could help halve the risk of dementia, a study claims.
Experts compared 3,900 patients on rheumatoid arthritis medication with 1,900 who were not.
Chances of developing dementia in the following 15 years were up to 48 per cent lower. Inflammation is seen as key to arthritis and dementia.
Prof Chris Edwards, of Southampton University, hailed the “positive link”.
Edwards, of the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, found anti-inflammatory medication known as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs cut dementia risk in trial patients.
He said: “Although there is medication available that can temporarily reduce some symptoms or slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease, there is currently no cure for the condition.
"This study shows a positive link between patients taking drugs to treat arthritis and reducing their risk of developing dementia - potentially by up to 50 per cent.
Inflammation plays a key role in both rheumatoid arthritis and dementia.
Around 850,000 Brits have the brain-wasting disease and the figure is expected to hit two million in the next three decades.
There is currently no cure but some drugs can control the symptoms.
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Dr James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This research suggests drugs used to control inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis may reduce the risk of dementia – but as it was an observational study, not a clinical trial, further research is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions about arthritis drugs as a treatment for dementia.
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