Despite the benefits, Vlad does not recommend that people start taking ibuprofen in the hopes of staving off Alzheimer's disease.
"All NSAIDs have significant risks including ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney dysfunction, elevated blood pressure and, certainly in the case of COX-II inhibitors like (Merck Inc's withdrawn drug) Vioxx, a cardiovascular risk," he said.
"I think the major implications of this study are more in the direction of prompting further research: a trial of ibuprofen to prevent Alzheimer's disease might be reasonable," he said.
An estimated 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia. The disease starts out with mild memory loss and confusion, but escalates into complete memory loss and an inability to care for oneself.
Alzheimer's disease has no cure and few effective treatments.
