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In a longitudinal study of 1.686 participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging,we examined whether the risk of Alzheimer's disease(AD)was reduced among reported users of aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDS).In addition,we examined use of acetominophen,a pain-relief medication with little or no anti- inflammatory activity,to assess the specificity of the association between AD risk and self-reported medications.Information on use of medications was collected during each biennial examination between 1980 and 1995.The relative risk(RR)for AD decreased with increasing during of NSAID use. Among those with 2 or more years of reported NSAID use,the RR was 0.40(95% confidence interval[CI]:0.19-0-.84)compared with 0.65(95%CI:0.33-1.29)for those with less than 2 years of NSAID use.The overall RR for AD among aspirin users was 0.74(95%CI:0.46-1.18),and no trend of decreasing risk of AD was observed with increasing duration of aspirin use.No association was found between AD risk and use of acetaminophen(RR=1.35:95%CI:0.79-2.30), and there was no trend of decreasing risk with increasing duration of use. These findings are consistent with evidence from cross-sectional studies indicating projection against AD risk among NSAID users with evidence suggesting that one stage of the pathophysiology leading to AD is characterized by an inflammatory process. |
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