06/05/2018 / By Michelle Simmons
People who continuously use anti-epileptic drugs are more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
In the study, researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) looked at the effects of the continuous use of anti-epileptic drugs on the risk of dementia of any type and Alzheimer’s disease using two datasets.
The Finnish dataset was part of the nationwide register-based MEDALZ study, which includes the 70,718 individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in Finland in 2005 to 2011 and their 282,862 controls. On the other hand, the German researchers studied the link between anti-epileptic drug use and dementia in the data of 20,325 people diagnosed with dementia in 2004-2011, and their 81,300 controls. The sample came from a large German statutory health insurance provider.
Results revealed that continuous use of anti-epileptic drugs for more than a year increased the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 15 percent in the Finnish dataset, and a 30 percent increased risk of dementia in the German dataset. The researchers also compared various anti-epileptic drugs, wherein they found that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia was particularly associated with drugs that impair the cognitive function. These drugs increased the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 20 percent, and 60 percent for dementia risk. Moreover, they discovered that the risk of dementia increases as the dose of a drug that damages cognitive function increases. Anti-epileptic drugs are not only used for epilepsy, but also in the treatment of neuropathic pain, bipolar disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Because of the adverse effects of medications for epilepsy, the interest in alternative therapies seems to be growing. In addition, anti-epileptic drugs do not work for everyone. Here are some natural treatments for epilepsy:
In addition to these, cannabidiol (CBD) was found to reduce seizures in half among severe epilepsy patients. Multiple studies have also shown that cannabis can potentially be used as a treatment for epilepsy patients.
Read more news stories and studies on harmful medicines by going to DangerousMedicine.com.
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Tagged Under: Alzheimer's disease, anti-epileptic drugs, Brain, cognition, cognitive function, dementia, drugs, harmful medicine, Medicine, mental health, seizures