Does long-term use of medication affect cognition and health later in life?
Project
|Updated
Do certain types of medication counteract or contribute to dementia?
Summary
Life expectancy has steadily increased over the past two centuries, while there seems to be less improvement in cognitive decline. The consequence is a considerable rise in the number of elderly with various degrees of dementia. The question is whether certain types of medication can either counteract or contribute to this aspect of aging. One of us has recently shown that even a short-term treatment with the commonly used asthma medicine montelukast can ameliorate a similar decline in rats. Based on analyses of the Norwegian Prescription Database, we found evidence suggesting that montelukast also helps humans. We wish to combine the Tromsø data with the Prescription Database in order to test whether individuals using montelukast, as well as other medications, score worse or better on relevant tests later in life. The Tromsø study offers a unique opportunity to investigate long-term effects of pharmaca.
Project leader
Bjørn Grinde, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Project participants
Bjørn Heine Strand, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Bjørn Grinde, Avdeling for kroniske sykdommer og aldring, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Henrik Schirmer, UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Ludwig Aigner, Paracelsus Private Medical University
Anne-Elise Eggen, UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Start
12.01.2016
End
31.12.2021
Status
Active
Approvals
Regional committees for medical and health research ethics
Project owner/ Project manager
Norwegian Institute of Public Health