Low dose aspirin and cognitive function in middle aged to elderly adults: randomised controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of low dose aspirin on cognitive function in middle aged to elderly men and women at moderately increased cardiovascular risk.


METHODS
Randomised double blind placebo controlled trial.


METHODS
Central Scotland.


METHODS
3350 men and women aged over 50 participating in the aspirin for asymptomatic atherosclerosis trial.


METHODS
Low dose aspirin (100 mg daily) or placebo for five years.


METHODS
Tests of memory, executive function, non-verbal reasoning, mental flexibility, and information processing five years after randomisation, with scores used to create a summary cognitive score (general factor).


RESULTS
At baseline, mean vocabulary scores (an indicator of previous cognitive ability) were similar in the aspirin (30.9, SD 4.7) and placebo (31.1, SD 4.7) groups. In the primary intention to treat analysis, there was no significant difference at follow-up between the groups in the proportion achieving over the median general factor cognitive score (32.7% and 34.8% respectively, odds ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 1.05, P=0.20) or in mean scores on the individual cognitive tests. There were also no significant differences in change in cognitive ability over the five years in a subset of 504 who underwent detailed cognitive testing at baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
Low dose aspirin does not affect cognitive function in middle aged to elderly people at increased cardiovascular risk.


BACKGROUND
ISRCTN 66587262.
Price
Jackie F
JF
Division of Community Health Sciences and Centre for Public Health and Primary Care Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh. Jackie.Price@ed.ac.uk
Stewart
Marlene C
MC
Deary
Ian J
IJ
Murray
Gordon D
GD
Sandercock
Peter
P
Butcher
Isabella
I
Fowkes
F Gerald R
FG