A case-control analysis of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and Alzheimer's disease: are they protective?
In many studies of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), the exposure to NSAIDs was concurrent with AD or based on self (or surrogate) report. We conducted a case-control analysis of the Québec participants in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging who received a diagnosis of AD (cases) or were found to be cognitively unimpaired on screening (controls). Information on drug use was obtained from the Québec Provincial Pharmaceutical Services Database. There was no significant difference in the proportion of cases and controls who had received any NSAID prescriptions in the 3 years prior to the onset of symptoms of dementia; amongst NSAID users, there was no difference in mean dose or duration. Our findings, using a measure of drug use prior to symptom onset and not subject to recall bias, do not support a protective effect for NSAIDs.
Wolfson
C
C
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montréal, Que., Canada. tinaw@epid.jgh.mcgill.ca
Perrault
A
A
Moride
Y
Y
Esdaile
J M
JM
Abenhaim
L
L
Momoli
F
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal