Effect of NSAIDs on risk of Alzheimer's disease: Conclusions on NSAIDs and Alzheimer's disease were overstated

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7417.752

BMJ 2003;327:752 (27 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7417.752

Letter

Effect of NSAIDs on risk of Alzheimer's disease

Conclusions on NSAIDs and Alzheimer's disease were overstated

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Etminan et al present a systematic review and meta-analysison the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)and the risk of developing subsequent Alzheimer's disease.¹The trials included in the review were observational studies(six cohort and three case-control). While theoretical mechanismsfor protection against Alzheimer's disease exist (preventionof senile plaque formation), the authors correctly point outthat, currently, no randomised controlled trials have examinedthe role of NSAIDs in preventing Alzheimer's disease.

As the Women's Health Initiative has shown,² overstating thefindings of observational studies is risky. In light of thelack of evidence from randomised controlled trials, the conclusionsby Etminan et al that NSAIDs offer some protection against thedevelopment of Alzheimer's disease (in the abstract) and thattheir results show that use of an NSAID lowers the risk of developingAlzheimer's disease (in the discussion section) are overstated.The authors later correctly note . . . [Full text of this article]

David Price, associate professor of family medicine and psychiatry

University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 2550 South Parker Road, Suite 300, Aurora, CO 80014, USA david.price@kp.org

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Effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on risk of Alzheimer's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies: Mahyar Etminan, Sudeep Gill, and Ali Samii
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