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Low‐Dose Aspirin Use and Cognitive Function in Older Age: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Veronese Nicola,
Stubbs Brendon,
Maggi Stefania,
Thompson Trevor,
Schofield Patricia,
Muller Christoph,
Tseng PingTao,
Lin PaoYen,
Carvalho André F.,
Solmi Marco
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.14883
Subject(s) - medicine , dementia , observational study , randomized controlled trial , aspirin , odds ratio , confounding , meta analysis , cognition , cognitive decline , confidence interval , incidence (geometry) , cognitive test , psychiatry , disease , physics , optics
Objectives To investigate whether low‐dose aspirin (<300 mg/d) can influence the onset of cognitive impairment or dementia in observational studies and improve cognitive test scores in randomized controlled trials ( RCT s) in participants without dementia. Design Systematic review and meta‐analysis. Setting Observational and interventional studies. Participants Individuals with no dementia or cognitive impairment initially. Measurements Odds ratios ( OR s) and 95% confidence intervals ( CI s), adjusted for the maximum number of covariates from each study, were used to summarize data on the incidence of dementia and cognitive impairment in observational studies. Standardized mean differences ( SMD s) were used for cognitive test scores in RCT s. Results Of 2,341 potentially eligible articles, eight studies were included and provided data for 36,196 participants without dementia or cognitive impairment at baseline (mean age 66, 63% female). After adjusting for a median of three potential confounders over a median follow‐up period of 6 years, chronic use of low‐dose aspirin was not associated with onset of dementia or cognitive impairment (5 studies, N = 26,159; OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.55–1.22, P = .33, I 2 = 67%). In three RCT s (N = 10,037; median follow‐up 5 years), the use of low‐dose aspirin was not associated with significantly better global cognition ( SMD =0.005, 95% CI =–0.04–0.05, P = .84, I 2 = 0%) in individuals without dementia. Adherence was lower in participants taking aspirin than in controls, and the incidence of adverse events was higher. Conclusion This review found no evidence that low‐dose aspirin buffers against cognitive decline or dementia or improves cognitive test scores in RCT s.