MedPage Today (7/10, George ) reports a study found that “gabapentin (Neurontin) prescriptions for chronic low back pain were linked with an increased risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.” Researchers found that “among more than 52,000 adults with chronic back pain who were followed for 10 years, those who had six or more gabapentin prescriptions had a higher incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment than those not prescribed gabapentin.” Researchers observed no heightened risk among patients aged 18 to 34 who were prescribed gabapentin, “but dementia risk was more than double and mild cognitive impairment risk more than triple among those ages 35 to 49. A similar pattern emerged among those 50 to 64 years old.” The study was published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
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