Researchers claim to have discovered a probable link between regular laxative use and dementia risk, but experts caution that the research is still in its early stages and should be read with caution.
Constipation affects about 20% of the general population and 70% of people in nursing homes, according to researchers from medical institutions across China as well as the University of Cambridge and Harvard Medical School, and most people with constipation are treated with one of two versions of over-the-counter laxatives.
Osmotic And Stimulant Laxatives
The study, published Wednesday in the official journal Neurology of the American Academy of Neurology, reveals that osmotic laxatives, which suck water into feces to make it softer and easier to pass, may have the strongest dementia relationship.
“Constipation and laxative use is common among middle-aged and older adults,” said study author Feng Sha, Ph.D., of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technologies, in a press statement.
“Constipation and laxative use are common among middle-aged and older adults,” said study author Feng Sha, Ph.D., of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technologies, in a press statement.
Dr. Sha points out that osmotic and stimulant laxatives are not recommended for long-term use. Yet, some people continue to use these substances on a regular basis.
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Laxatives Can Double The Risk Of Dementia
Almost 502,000 people from the UK biobank database took part in the study. At the outset of the investigation, this group had an average age of 57 and no indications of dementia.
In this group, 18,235 persons (3.6%) reported using over-the-counter laxatives on a frequent basis. The authors defined regular use as using laxatives on most days of the week in the month preceding the trial.
Over a 10-year period, 218 (1.3%) of individuals who routinely used laxatives got dementia. Only 1,969 people (0.4%) got dementia among those who did not use laxatives on a daily basis.
Throughout their research, the team took various factors into account, including age, gender, education, other illnesses, medication use, and a family history of dementia. Overall, persons who routinely used laxatives had a 51% greater risk of dementia onset compared to people who did not.
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