Laxatives are medicines that help people use the bathroom when they have trouble going.
They are often used when lifestyle changes like eating more fiber, drinking lots of fluids, and exercising don’t help with constipation.
Laxatives and Dementia: A Surprising Connection
Here’s something you might find surprising: a group of scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found that people who use laxatives often may be more likely to develop dementia.
Dementia is a health condition that affects the brain, causing memory loss and difficulty thinking.
The Study: Digging Into the Data
These scientists looked at health data from a huge group of people, 502,229 to be exact, who were part of a project called the UK Biobank.
The people in this group were, on average, 57 years old and did not have dementia when the study started.
Of these people, 18,235 (or about 3.6% of the group) said they used over-the-counter laxatives regularly.
When the scientists say “regularly,” they mean these people took laxatives most days during the month before the study began.
What They Found: Laxatives and a Higher Dementia Risk
Over the course of about 10 years, 218 of the people who often used laxatives (about 1.3% of them) developed dementia.
For the people who didn’t use laxatives regularly, only 1,969 (or about 0.4%) developed dementia.
After looking at other factors like age, gender, education, health history, and family history of dementia, the scientists found that regular laxative users had a 51% increased risk of developing dementia compared to those who didn’t use laxatives regularly.
Interestingly, people who used only one type of laxative, called osmotic laxatives, were at an even higher risk. Osmotic laxatives work by pulling water into the colon to make the stool softer.
There are other types of laxatives too, such as bulk-forming, stool-softening, and stimulating laxatives.
But remember, this study does not say that laxatives cause dementia. It just shows a connection between the two.
The Laxative Effect: Gut Changes and the Brain
So, how might laxatives and dementia be connected? The researchers think it might have to do with our gut. Regular use of laxatives might change our gut’s microbiome – the community of microorganisms living there.
This might affect how signals are sent from the gut to the brain or increase the production of harmful substances in the intestines that could affect the brain.
The researchers noted that people who used osmotic laxatives or multiple types of laxatives had a higher risk of dementia.
It’s worth noting that osmotic and stimulant laxatives are not recommended for regular use, but some people do use them regularly.
Other Factors to Consider: Walking Speed and Blood Pressure
While this study is about laxatives and dementia, there are other studies out there that might interest you if you’re concerned about dementia.
For example, one study found that your walking speed might indicate your risk of dementia. Another study suggested certain blood pressure drugs could help prevent dementia.
There’s also information on how your diet could affect your dementia risk. For example, a high-fiber diet could help lower your risk of dementia, and certain antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
Remember, each of these studies provides a piece of the puzzle in understanding dementia. The more we learn, the better chance we have of preventing and treating this condition.
This laxatives and dementia study was conducted by a team led by Feng Sha and was published in the scientific journal Neurology.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and flavonoid-rich foods could help prevent dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that cranberries could help boost memory, and how alcohol, coffee and tea intake influence cognitive decline.
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