Lifestyle & Healthtutorial
Low-dose aspirin linked to 70% lower dementia risk in one genetic group, Monash analysis finds
A Monash University analysis found a large relative drop in dementia among older adults with a certain genetic profile who took aspirin, and it also found more major bleeding in that group.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or another qualified professional about your own situation.
What the Monash analysis found
A Monash University analysis found that older adults with a specific genetic profile taking low-dose aspirin had a 70% lower relative risk of dementia, even though previous studies found no overall protective effect. [1] The findings were published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. [1]
Lead author Dr. Peter Fransquet is a Research Fellow at Monash's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. [1] He said previous trials found aspirin did not prevent dementia when everyone was considered together. [1]
How the groups were split
Researchers grouped participants by a genetic score associated with platelet count, and the signal was strongest among the top 20 percent of that score. [1] They screened thousands of polygenic scores, and after correcting for multiple comparisons only three closely related platelet scores remained significant. [2]
The genetic association identified did not involve the well-established genetic risk factors typically linked to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. [1] Fransquet said the signal points toward platelet biology and offers a new avenue to investigate. [1] Previous research has linked dementia with platelet activation and aggregation, while the role of overall platelet count is less well understood. [1]
The numbers: benefit and bleeding
In the highest-scoring group, 1 percent of aspirin users developed dementia versus 3.3 percent of placebo recipients. [3] The absolute difference was 2.3 percentage points, about 23 fewer dementia cases per 1,000 people, despite the roughly 70 percent relative reduction. [3]
In the same genetic group, major bleeding occurred in 4.4 percent of aspirin users versus 2.1 percent of placebo recipients. [1] The excess major bleeding in that group is about 23 additional events per 1,000 people. [3]
Deaths from any cause did not differ between aspirin and placebo recipients in the highest-scoring group. [2]
Limits of the study
In the original ASPREE trial, low-dose aspirin did not significantly reduce cardiovascular disease or improve the trial's main outcome of survival without disability. [2] The genetic investigation was an exploratory analysis conducted after the original trial ended, not a trial designed to test aspirin for dementia prevention in people with these genetic characteristics. [2]
Participants had been screened to exclude those at high bleeding risk, including people with anemia or taking blood thinners. [2] The genetic score used in the analysis is not the same as a platelet count measured in a routine blood test, and the study sets no clinical cutoff. [2]
Why it matters
Fransquet said the findings raise the possibility that genetics could help identify who may benefit from a preventive treatment rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. [1] No medication is currently approved specifically for primary prevention of dementia. [2] Aspirin is already cheap and widely available, which could make personalized dementia prevention a real possibility if the finding holds up. [1]
Dementia Australia estimates about 446,500 people in Australia are living with dementia in 2026, a number expected to exceed one million by 2065. [1]
What this means for you
People should not start taking aspirin to prevent dementia based on this study without consulting a doctor, given the increased risk of serious bleeding. [1]
In the genetic group with the strongest signal, about 23 fewer people per 1,000 developed dementia, and about 23 more per 1,000 had major bleeding. [3]
The score used is not the same as a platelet count measured in a routine blood test, so a standard blood result does not tell you which group you would fall into. [2] Researchers say the results must be confirmed before they can guide medical recommendations, and the next step is checking whether the association appears in other populations. [1]
Sources
Written from the sources above and checked twice before publishing. How we work · Report an error
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
