MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Although observational studies suggest that users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, a randomized controlled trial reports that naproxen and celecoxib do not protect against cognitive decline in older individuals, according to an article published online May 12 in the Archives of Neurology.
Barbara K. Martin, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues with the Alzheimer's Disease Anti-inflammatory Prevention Trial (ADAPT) randomized 2,528 men and women aged 70 and older without cognitive impairment but with a family history of Alzheimer's disease to receive either celecoxib, naproxen sodium or placebo twice daily. Cognitive testing was performed annually. Enrollment commenced in 2001 and was suspended in 2004 after another study reported an increased cardiovascular risk with celecoxib.
The researchers found that lower global summary scores over time were seen in the naproxen group compared with placebo, and slightly lower scores on the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam over time were seen in both the naproxen and celecoxib groups compared with the placebo group.
"The ADAPT findings add to the negative or null evidence from treatment trials and secondary prevention trials, and therefore appear to be inconsistent with the epidemiological findings that provided the rationale for the trial," the authors conclude.
Several authors report financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Pfizer and Bayer Healthcare provided study drugs for this trial.
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