It is crucial to identify modifiable risk factors for dementia and develop strategies to mitigate them as a means of reducing the likelihood of developing the disease.
The use of laxatives, a popular treatment for constipation, may raise the risk of developing dementia by more than 50%, according to research published today in Neurology®, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Those who took just osmotic laxatives, a form of laxative that pulls water to the colon to soften stool, were found to have an even greater chance of developing the condition, according to the findings of the research.
Additional categories of laxatives include those that stimulate, soften, and/or add bulk to the feces. The findings of the research do not support the hypothesis that laxatives induce dementia. It only shows that there is a link.
“Constipation and laxative use are common among middle-aged and older adults,” says study author Feng Sha.
But “regular laxative use may change the microbiome of the gut, possibly affecting nerve signaling from the gut to the brain or increasing the production of intestinal toxins that may affect the brain.”
The findings of this study revealed, “regular use of over-the-counter laxatives was associated with a higher risk of dementia, particularly in people who used multiple laxative types or osmotic laxatives.”
Sha pointed out that while osmotic and stimulant laxatives are not advised for routine usage, some individuals do.
At the start of the study, none of the 502,229 people in the UK biobank database, who had an average age of 57, were diagnosed with dementia.
Among these, 18,235 respondents (3.6%) admitted to taking laxatives purchased without a prescription at least once a month. According to the study’s criteria, “regular use” meant using a laxative on a weekly basis in the month before to enrollment.
218 people who routinely took laxatives, or 1.3%, had dementia over an average of 10 years. 1,969 persons, or 0.4%, of those who did not consistently use laxatives had dementia.
Researchers discovered that individuals who consistently used laxatives had a 51% higher risk of total dementia compared to those who did not regularly use laxatives after controlling for variables including age, sex, education, other diseases and medication usage, and a family history of dementia.
With more laxative varieties being taken, the risk of dementia also rose. One kind of laxative was associated with a 28% higher risk, whereas two or more types was associated with a 90% increased risk.
The risk was increased by 64% among persons who used osmotic laxatives compared to those who did not use laxatives, but exclusively among people who used just that kind.
Discovering strategies to lower someone’s risk of dementia by figuring out risk factors that may be changed is essential, according to Sha.
Further research is required to fully explore the connection between laxatives and dementia that this study showed.
Further research is required to fully explore the connection between laxatives and dementia that this study showed.
If these results are validated, healthcare providers may advise patients to manage constipation by altering their lifestyles to include greater water consumption, more fiber in their diets, and more physical exercise.
The study’s scope was limited due to the unavailability of dosage information for laxatives, which hindered researchers from investigating the potential link between different laxative dosages and dementia.
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