The Unexpected Effect Ibuprofen Has On Your Brain Health – Health Digest

Per 2008 research published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology — Neurology, the inflammation-reducing properties of ibuprofen were linked to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists analyzed the NSAID use of 49,349 U.S. veterans aged 55 and older who developed this neurodegenerative disease and that of 196,850 veterans without it over a period of five years. 

The participants who specifically consumed the NSAID ibuprofen for more than half a decade were found to be 40% less likely to develop this most common type of dementia. There was also an inverse correlation between the risk of developing dementia and the length of ibuprofen use. As study author Dr. Steven Vlad of the Boston University School of Medicine shared (via American Academy of Neurology), “Some of these medications taken long term decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but it’s very dependent on the exact drugs used … One reason ibuprofen may have come out so far ahead is that it is by far the most commonly used.” 

Despite these findings, there are medical professionals who are concerned about a definite recommendation to take ibuprofen daily to stave off your risk of brain disease. The apprehension has to do with the fact that the studies done so far are population studies and not clinical trials, and the widely-known negative consequences of regular NSAID use.