Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (LDASA) may protect against cognitive decline, provided that it is started well before symptoms begin, suggests a retrospective analysis of two large cohorts. 

The link with all-cause dementia was weak, but was found to be more marked in people with coronary heart disease. Investigators evaluated two prospective cohort studies which were combined into a meta-analysis - the ESTHER cohort from Germany, with 5,258 individuals and the UK Biobank cohort that included 305,394 individuals. While there was no significant association between LDASA use and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, there appeared to be a link between LDASA use and all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93-0.99). Among men, LDASA use was tied to a lower risk of vascular dementia (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79-0.93) and all-cause dementia (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.83-0.92). Among women, its use was linked to greater risk of both vascular dementia (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02-1.24) and all-cause dementia (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13). The findings were presented at the 2021 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference… (Medscape)