Millions at Risk? Common Drug Linked to Significant Rise in Dementia Cases

However, like any medication, gabapentin comes with potential side effects, including nausea, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, memory problems, and speech difficulties.

The research mentioned has raised concerns about its long-term use, with the results showing that people who had six or more prescriptions for gabapentin to treat lower back pain faced a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.



It analyzed data from over 26,000 adults in the TriNetX health research network and involved people dealing with chronic pain, including conditions like lower back pain and lumbar radiculopathy. Researchers compared those taking gabapentin with a similar-sized group who weren’t. Participants were then sorted into five age ranges and followed for ten years to see whether they went on to develop mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, or vascular dementia.

“Currently, there is a discrepancy on whether taking gabapentin increases a patient’s risk for developing dementia,” said Nafis B. Eghrari, the study’s first author and a fourth-year medical student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in an interview with Medical News Today. “Moreover, there lacks a strong understanding of how gabapentin impacts cognitive function and whether it contributes to neurodegenerative processes. Previous studies have shown mixed findings on this topic. Thus, we decided to explore this gap in the field.”