Popular back pain medication linked to brain health risks in some patients

A painkiller used for lower back pain could be linked to a higher hazard of dementia and mild cognitive impairment MCI according to new research The inquiry published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia Pain Medicine identified that groups previously considered too young to develop the conditions faced more than twice the exposure when taking gabapentin Our findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within years the research unit stated in a press release BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS MAY HAVE LOWER VULNERABILITY OF ADVANCING ALZHEIMER'S SICKNESS REVIEW FINDSThe drug has become increasingly popular for treating chronic pain especially neuropathic nerve pain the researchers noted in a press release Gabapentin which is also used to control seizures according to Cleveland Clinic has relatively low addictive expected compared to traditional opioids Current research has sparked new concerns over its side effects including a manageable association with neurodegeneration Previous findings could not confirm a specific link especially regarding whether certain age groups are more vulnerable In the latest research researchers collected input from TriNetX a fitness research arrangement containing electronic healthcare records from healthcare organizations across the U S MORE SENIORS ARE USING CANNABIS THAN EVER BEFORE DESPITE WELLNESS RISKS RESEARCH SHOWSExamining anonymous records of adult patients the band looked at groups who had been prescribed gabapentin for chronic lower back pain between and and compared them to people who hadn t received the drug There were a total of individuals in each group The researchers accounted for factors like demographics co-existing conditions and the use of other pain-relieving drugs Patients who had received six or more gabapentin prescriptions were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and more likely to be diagnosed with MCI within years of their initial pain determination the review detected Looking at specific age groups people between and years old who received the drug were more than twice as likely to develop either condition than those who hadn t been prescribed gabapentin CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR WELLBEING NEWSLETTERWhile there was no heightened menace among those aged to who were prescribed the drug the liability of dementia more than doubled and the pitfall of MCI more than tripled among - to -year-olds Researchers observed a similar pattern among - to -year-olds Risks rose with prescription frequency Patients with or more prescriptions were more likely to develop dementia and more likely to develop MCI than those who were prescribed gabapentin between three and times The assessment did have chosen limitations As this was an observational evaluation no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect the researchers noted For more Fitness articles visit www foxnews com healthThey also acknowledged that because the investigation was retrospective they couldn t account for dose or length of gabapentin use The results aid the need for close monitoring of adult patients prescribed gabapentin to assess for prospective cognitive decline the researchers added