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. 2017 Aug 31:14:20.
doi: 10.1186/s12979-017-0102-7. eCollection 2017.

Prescription database analyses indicates that the asthma medicine montelukast might protect against dementia: a hypothesis to be verified

Bjørn Grinde  1 , Bo Engdahl  1
Affiliations

Prescription database analyses indicates that the asthma medicine montelukast might protect against dementia: a hypothesis to be verified

Bjørn Grinde et al. Immun Ageing. .

Abstract

Background: It has recently been shown that the leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast rejuvenates aged brains in rats. The question is whether this commonly used, systemic, anti-asthmatic medicine has a similar effect in humans?

Results: We approached this issue by doing statistical analyses based on the Norwegian Prescription Database. The Database lists all prescription-based medications in Norway, but not drugs given to people who are in hospitals or nursing homes. The question asked was whether users of montelukast, compared to users of inhalation asthma medicine, live longer, and are less likely to develop dementia. A small, non-significant protective effect on the use of dementia medicine became significant when adjusting for other prescriptions (based on the notion that montelukast users on average are less healthy). A possible protective effect was substantiated by looking at the lack of prescriptions as a proxy for dementia-related residency in nursing homes, and the risk of death.

Conclusions: The present results suggest that montelukast may alleviate the cognitive decline associated with human aging. However, further data, preferably based on controlled clinical trials, are required.

Keywords: Cognitive decline; Dementia; Leukotriene; Montelukast; Prescription database.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The project was accepted by Norwegian Regional Committees for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REK sør-øst) on 18.02.2016 (case 2016/134). The research was carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. The data used (from the NorPD) was not person-identifiable, thus informed consent was not relevant for the project.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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