Genetic profile may make low-dose aspirin cut dementia risk by 70%

An analysis of the ASPREE trial, which enrolled over 13,500 elderly participants, revealed that low-dose aspirin may dramatically lower dementia risk for a subset of people with specific genetic variants linked to higher platelet counts. In the highest quintile of platelet-count polygenic scores, only 1% of aspirin users developed dementia versus 3.3% of those on placebo, indicating a roughly 70% relative risk reduction.

The benefit came with a notable safety trade-off: major bleeding occurred in 4.4% of aspirin users compared with 2.1% on placebo within the same genetic group. The study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, suggests that genetic screening could eventually identify individuals who might profit from aspirin as a preventive measure. Nonetheless, the authors stress that the findings must be replicated in other cohorts and tested in a trial designed for this genetic profile before any changes to medical guidance. They also warn against self-medicating with aspirin without professional advice due to the bleeding risk.