Cutting dementia risk?

According to a recent study carried out in the US long term use of Ibuprofen may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's by as much as 40%. The study involving nearly 250,000 veterans showed that those taking the drug for 5 years or more were 40% less likely to develop the disease.

Whilst this is not the 1st time a link has been found experts are warning people not to start taking the drug in order to reduce the risk. Dr Steven Vlad who was the leader of the most recent study suggested that the reason for the connection is because Ibuprofen had been shown to reduce protein deposits on the brain in animals. It is these protein deposits that have been associated with Alzheimer's.

This provides researchers with a new direction for potentially developing a treatment for the condition and whilst the idea is promising it is not the first time that a potential link has been found. For example some research suggested that those who have short limbs are more likely to develop the disease whilst others argue that there is a connection between poor nutrition in early life and Alzheimer's.

In all honesty having seen what this disease does to people , having had 2 family members who had the disease I think that if they are able to develop, not necessarily a cure but at least a treatment that could make the lives of those with the disease a little bit better then great but I am not going to pin my hopes on the latest bit of research, as with anything there is research out there that proposes a number of different theories as to what makes people more or less likely to develop the disease. What does this matter to those who have the disease? Whilst I acknowledge that prevention is better than cure I think that they need look at both a treatment and methods of prevention.