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 pitfall of dementia and mild cognitive impairment MCI according to new research The review published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia Pain Medicine revealed that groups previously considered too young to develop the conditions faced more than twice the pitfall when taking gabapentin Our findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within years the research crew stated in a press release BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS MAY HAVE LOWER HAZARD OF EMERGING ALZHEIMER'S ILLNESS SURVEY 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 likely compared to traditional opioids Newest research has sparked new concerns over its side effects including a viable association with neurodegeneration Previous findings could not confirm a specific link especially regarding whether certain age groups are more vulnerable In the latest survey researchers collected statistics from TriNetX a physical condition research organization containing electronic wellness records from healthcare organizations across the U S MORE SENIORS ARE USING CANNABIS THAN EVER BEFORE DESPITE WELLBEING RISKS RESEARCH SHOWSExamining anonymous records of adult patients the crew 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 assessment the survey ascertained 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 SOUNDNESS NEWSLETTERWhile there was no heightened menace among those aged to who were prescribed the drug the menace of dementia more than doubled and the exposure 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 survey did have specific limitations As this was an observational research no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect the researchers noted For more Robustness articles visit www foxnews com healthThey also acknowledged that because the evaluation was retrospective they couldn t account for dose or length of gabapentin use The results patronage the need for close monitoring of adult patients prescribed gabapentin to assess for possible cognitive decline the researchers added