NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS IN AL ZHEIMER-DISEASE

Inflammatory basis of disease: Alzheimer disease is characterized by d eposits of amyloid substance and several other inflammatory proteins i n the brain. Cerebral inflammation could contribute to neuron damage. it has thus been hypothesized that anti-inflammatory drugs could be us eful in Alzheimer disease. I Protective role of anti-inflammatory drug s: Epidemiology studies in patients with degenerative joint disease or rheumatoid arthritis, and who consequently have had chronic treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, have been conducted in 9 different countries. Data would favor the inflammatory hypothesis. The prevalence of Alzheimer disease appears to be lower in populations ta king anti-inflammatory drugs than in control populations. New avenues for research: There have been few controlled studies and those which h ave been reported have included only small numbers of subjects. Such s tudies must be continued in the future in larger populations in order to determine the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in Alzheimer disease. (C) 1998, Masson, Paris.