Aspirin Does Not Benefit Cognition in Older Women

Laboratory and epidemiologic studies have suggested that aspirin and other anti-inflammatory agents might protect against development of dementia, but results from previous randomized trials have been inconclusive. Using data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of low-dose aspirin (100 mg on alternate days) for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer, investigators evaluated cognitive function in 6377 women aged 65 or older who had taken aspirin or placebo for a mean of 9.6 years.

Three cognitive evaluations were conducted by telephone at 2-year intervals. Both initial assessments and mean decline in global cognitive assessments were similar in the two groups. There was, however, a 20% lower risk for dec…