ASSOCIATION OF CHRONIC NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS USE AND COGNITIVE DECLINE IN NONDEMENTED ELDERLY PATIENTS ADMITTED TO A GERIATRIC EVALUATION AND REHABILITATION UNIT

In a geriatric evaluation and rehabilitation unit (GERU), 258 elderly patients (M: 71, F: 187; mean age 77.4 +/- 7.5) scoring 22 or more at Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) consecutively admitted were asses sed in order to evaluate the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammator y drugs (NSAID) chronic treatment on cognitive status in non-demented elderly patients. Sixty-six patients (25.6%) were considered chronic N SAID users. Patients chronically assuming NSAIDs showed a significantl y higher MMSE score than non-users (26.9 +/- 2.1 vs. 25.7 +/- 2.5, P < 0.0005). After controlling for potential confounders in a multivariat e model, chronic NSAID use remained independently associated with MMSE score. The results support a positive association between chronic Nh; AID use and cognitive function in non-demented elderly patients. Rando mized controlled trials will be needed to definitively prove this bene ficial effect.