Low-dose aspirin linked to lower dementia risk for a genetic subgroup
A Monash University analysis of genetic data from more than 13,500 older participants in the ASPREE Trial suggests that low-dose aspirin’s effect on dementia may vary with inherited differences in platelet biology. Among participants in the highest 20% of genetic scores associated with platelet count, dementia developed in 1% of those assigned aspirin, compared with 3.3% of those receiving a placebo—about a 70% lower relative risk. Previous trials found no protective effect when participants were assessed as a single group.
The apparent benefit came with a substantial trade-off: in the same genetic subgroup, major bleeding occurred in 4.4% of aspirin recipients and 2.1% of placebo recipients. The genetic signal was not tied to established risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, instead pointing researchers toward the possible role of platelet count, activation and aggregation.
Published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the findings could eventually support a more personalized approach to prevention, but they are not sufficient to change medical advice. The association must first be reproduced in other populations and then tested in a clinical trial designed specifically for people with this genetic profile. Researchers caution that people should not begin taking aspirin to prevent dementia without consulting a doctor, particularly because of the increased risk of serious bleeding.
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