Aspirin Doesn't Prevent Cognitive Decline in Older Women

Low-dose aspirin does not prevent cognitive decline in older women, researchers report in BMJ.
The study included a subset of the participants in the Women's Health Study, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of aspirin's role in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Researchers followed some 6400 women aged 65 or older and in generally good health for a mean of almost 10 years. The women underwent three cognitive assessments via telephone at 2-year intervals, beginning an average of almost 6 years after randomization.
At follow-up, global scores of cognitive function — based on tests of verbal memory, general cognition, and category fluency — did not differ between groups. The only cognitive advantage the aspirin group held over those on placebo occurred in category fluency (in which participants were asked to name as many animals as they could within a minute), a result that the authors say should be interpreted cautiously.
They conclude that "other methods for preserving cognitive function in older people need to be investigated."