Regular use of laxatives is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The scientists came to this conclusion after observing half a million patients for 10 years, according to the study. published in the journal Neurology.
According to statistics, about 20% of the world’s population suffers from constipation, 70% among the elderly, including residents of nursing homes. The traditional remedy for the disease are laxatives.
An international team of scientists from Cambridge, Harvard, together with Chinese colleagues, decided to test the hypothesis that these drugs could increase the risk of developing dementia.
“Constipation and laxative use are common in middle-aged and older people. However, regular laxative use can alter the gut microbiota, affect its signaling to the brain, or increase the production of toxins that can affect the brain,” the study authors explained.
Scientists analyzed the health outcomes of 502,229 people as part of the massive UK Biobank project, which has provided data for thousands of population-based human health studies. The average age of the people was 57, when the observations began, none of them complained of symptoms of dementia. Of this group, 18,235 or 3.6% reported taking laxatives regularly. After 10 years, 218 people in this group (1.3%) were diagnosed with dementia, while in the group of people who were not taking laxatives, dementia was detected in 1969 people, or only 0.4 %.
After taking into account factors such as gender, age, level of education and other illnesses, including an inherited predisposition to dementia, scientists found that on average, regular use of laxatives is associated with a 51% increased risk of dementia.
The risk also increases with the type of drugs used. So, taking one type is associated with an increase in risk by 28%, two or more – by 90%.
The greatest increase in risk (64%) is associated with the use of osmotic laxatives, the action of which is aimed at preventing the reabsorption of water from the intestine.
“If our findings are confirmed, healthcare professionals should be advised to treat constipation by making lifestyle changes, drinking more water, eating more fiber, and being more active in life,” they said. the authors of the study.
