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Role of Common Painkillers in Protecting Against Alzheimer’s Disease Revisited
Although studies have suggested this before, a study from UCLA which will be reported in the March 31st issue of Neuroscience describes the process of how NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) bind to the amyloid plaque formations found in Alzheimer’s Disease. Using a chemical marker called FDDNP which highlights the plaques with a fluorescent glow, synthetic amyloid and anti-inflammatory drugs actually may dissolve the plaques and even inhibit plaque formation.
Jorge R. Barrio professor of molecular and medical pharmacology, Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA and others point out that this suggests a possible explanation for epidemiological observations that people who take anti-inflammatory medications over several years have a lower risk for later development of Alzheimer's disease. This same research team previously found through PET scans that patients showed the presence of lesions before the plaques were believed to begin the destruction of brain cells. The goal of all of these studies is to “develop new, more efficient drugs designed to destroy and prevent plaque formation. They point out that the next step is to compare these results with normal controls and patients with other dementias.
Medline abstract
In a related community study published in the current American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, researchers examined the relationship between NSAIDs use and Alzheimer's in a large sample of community-dwelling elderly people. They conclude that results of this population-based cross-sectional study are consistent with the notion that long-term NSAIDs use has a protective effect against Alzheimer's.
Fascinating! Two different research perspectives - same results.
10:28:23 PM 
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