{"id":34026,"date":"2025-11-27T01:59:25","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T01:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=34026"},"modified":"2025-11-27T01:59:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T01:59:25","slug":"common-back-pain-drug-may-be-linked-to-higher-dementia-risk-large-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=34026","title":{"rendered":"Common back-pain drug may be linked to higher dementia risk, large study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>A pain medication that millions of Americans rely on for chronic back pain may come with a hidden risk: a significantly higher chance of developing dementia or other cognitive problems, according to a major new study.<\/strong><\/p><div class=\"xydnt69ff76704f0a7\" ><div style=\"width:100%; max-width:1200px; margin:0 auto;\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/bolt-casino.com?r=0BFDBF1283\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n    <img \n      src=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f8693ebb-2018-480f-a2f7-0096810c07f0.jpg\" \n      alt=\"200% Deposit Bonus + 10% Cashback\" \n      style=\"width:100%; height:auto; display:block; border-radius:8px; cursor:pointer;\"\n    \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.xydnt69ff76704f0a7 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.xydnt69ff76704f0a7 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.xydnt69ff76704f0a7 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.xydnt69ff76704f0a7 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.xydnt69ff76704f0a7 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<h2 id=\"h-compared-26-000-adults\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Compared 26,000 adults<\/h2>\n<p>Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and several partner institutions analyzed medical records from 68 health systems across the U.S., comparing 26,414 adults prescribed gabapentin for persistent low-back pain with a matched group who had similar pain \u2014 but didn\u2019t take the drug.<\/p>\n<p>Their\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/rapm.bmj.com\/content\/early\/2025\/07\/02\/rapm-2025-106577\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">finding<\/a>\u00a0was sobering: Adults who received six or more gabapentin prescriptions were 29% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and 85% more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) within 10 years.<\/p>\n<p>The risk wasn\u2019t limited to older adults. In fact, it was\u00a0<em>younger Americans<\/em>\u00a0who saw the most dramatic increases.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-younger-adults-saw-shocking-risk-increases\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Younger adults saw shocking risk increases<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For people normally considered\u00a0<em>decades<\/em>\u00a0away from dementia:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ages 35\u201349<\/strong>\u00a0taking gabapentin had\u00a0<strong>more than double<\/strong>\u00a0the risk of dementia.<\/li>\n<li>Their risk of MCI\u00a0<strong>more than tripled<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Adults\u00a0<strong>50\u201364<\/strong>\u00a0saw similarly elevated risks.<\/li>\n<li>Only those\u00a0<strong>18\u201334<\/strong>\u00a0showed no increased risk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Researchers published their results in\u00a0<em>Regional Anesthesia &amp; Pain Medicine<\/em>\u00a0and didn\u2019t mince words: \u201cOur results support the need for close monitoring of adult patients prescribed gabapentin to assess for potential cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-more-prescriptions-more-risk\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More prescriptions = more risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Like any medication, gabapentin can cause side effects. Some of the more common ones include feeling dizzy, unusually tired, experiencing swelling from fluid retention, and having a dry mouth. Earlier research has also linked gabapentin use to potential breathing problems.<\/p>\n<p>However, the study from Case Western Reserve University found a clear pattern: the more gabapentin someone took, the greater the cognitive risks.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Those with\u00a0<strong>12+ prescriptions<\/strong>\u00a0were\u00a0<strong>40% more likely<\/strong>\u00a0to develop dementia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They were\u00a0<strong>65% more likely<\/strong>\u00a0to develop MCI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This held true even after accounting for health conditions, demographics, and other medications.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-space\" data-google-query-id=\"CImAq8ydkZEDFTJHHQkdoVEZ1A\">\n<h2 id=\"h-but-does-gabapentin-cause-dementia\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>But does gabapentin\u00a0<em>cause<\/em>\u00a0dementia?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Not necessarily. The researchers were careful to note this was an observational study, meaning it shows a strong association \u2014 not proof of direct cause.<\/p>\n<p>They also couldn\u2019t analyze exact dosage or duration.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the dataset was huge, and the findings aligned with other emerging concerns about gabapentin\u2019s side effects.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-why-gabapentin-use-has-skyrocketed\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why gabapentin use has skyrocketed<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Gabapentin has been around since the early \u201990s, originally approved to treat epilepsy. Over the years, doctors have increasingly turned to it for chronic pain, nerve pain, post-shingles pain, and restless legs syndrome because it\u2019s seen as a safer alternative to opioids.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s often prescribed long-term for back pain, even though researchers note that many patients receiving it may also struggle with mobility \u2014 another known dementia risk factor.<\/p>\n<p>But in this study, gabapentin users were matched with similarly limited patients who\u00a0<em>didn\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0take the drug, suggesting mobility alone doesn\u2019t explain the cognitive decline.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-this-means-for-patients\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What this means for patients<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The takeaway isn\u2019t to panic, but to be informed.<\/p>\n<p>If you or a loved one is taking gabapentin for back pain, experts say the study reinforces the importance of:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Regular cognitive check-ins<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Talking with your doctor about risks and alternatives<\/li>\n<li>Avoiding unnecessary long-term use when possible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Gabapentin is still considered safer than many pain medications, but awareness matters.<\/p>\n<p>As the researchers conclude, \u201cOur findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Given the drug\u2019s widespread use, that\u2019s a message worth paying attention to.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A pain medication that millions of Americans rely on for chronic back pain may come with a hidden risk: a significantly higher chance of developing dementia or other cognitive problems, according to a major new study. Compared 26,000 adults Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and several partner institutions analyzed medical records from 68 health&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19,17,11,20,24,15,12,25,22,18,16,21,14,23,13],"class_list":["post-34026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-chronic-diseases","tag-fitness","tag-health-tips","tag-healthcare-technology","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-healthy-living","tag-medical-advice","tag-medical-awareness","tag-medical-research","tag-mental-health","tag-nutrition","tag-patient-care","tag-preventive-care","tag-public-health","tag-wellness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Common back-pain drug may be linked to higher dementia risk, large study finds - VM News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=34026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Common back-pain drug may be linked to higher dementia risk, large study finds - VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A pain medication that millions of Americans rely on for chronic back pain may come with a hidden risk: a significantly higher chance of developing dementia or other cognitive problems, according to a major new study. 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