Do Ibuprofen and Similar Drugs Help Prevent Alzheimer's?

Alzheimers Prevention


Some years ago, researchers noticed that people with severe arthritis have strikingly low rates of Alzheimer's disease. More recently, Japanese researchers noted a similar unusually low rate of Alzheimer's disease in people being treated for leprosy.



Treatment of both leprosy and arthritis involves large doses of medications known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs include such common, over-the-counter medications as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), naproxen (Aleve), and aspirin, plus many prescription drugs -- but not acetaminophen (Tylenol).



Several studies have corroborated the speculation that NSAIDs might prevent Alzheimer's disease, or help treat it.

  • In 1993, researchers divided 44 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's into two groups. One group took a placebo; the other, 100 or 150 mg/day of the NSAID indomethacin (Indocin). After six months, the placebo group showed an 8.4% decline in cognitive test scores. But the indomethacin group registered a 1.3% improvement.




  • Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center tested 210 people with the disease over time to see how rapidly they lost cognitive ability. Some showed rapid mental deterioration, while others declined more slowly. Then the researchers reviewed everyone's medical records to see who had been taking NSAIDs. They found that as NSAID use increased, the rate of mental deterioration decreased.




  • Finally, as part of the 38-year Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, researchers from the National Institute on Aging assessed NSAID use in 1,828 elderly people, 110 of whom developed Alzheimer's from 1980 to 1995. Every two years, all subjects filled out extensive food and drug surveys, and were given a battery of cognition and memory tests. People who took NSAIDs more than occasionally for at least two years were 30% to 60% less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. As duration of NSAID use increased, Alzheimer's risk decreased. All NSAIDs other than aspirin significantly reduced risk. Aspirin did not reach statistical significance, but there was a trend toward lower risk with increased duration of more-than-occasional aspirin use.


The main problem with NSAIDs is that they carry a significant risk of stomach distress, and gastrointestinal bleeding.



According to these studies, many different NSAIDs have Alzheimer's-protective effects, including:

  • Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin)

  • Naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve, Anaprox)

  • Indomethacin (Indocin)

  • Meclofenamate (Meclomen)

  • Aspirin (possibly)