Older adults who take laxatives on a regular basis could face a 51% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who do not use them, a new study published in the journal Neurology suggests. Researchers from the University of Cambridge, Harvard Medical School and other universities looked at 502,229 participants between the ages of 40 and 69 (with an average age of 56.5) who had no history of dementia. Among those who said they took laxatives "most days of the week" over the last four weeks, 1.3% had developed all-cause dementia or vascular dementia after a span of 9.8 years.
The type and frequency of people using laxatives may affect their dementa risk.
Researchers investigated the effects of laxatives on dementia risk.
They found that regular consumption of laxatives increases dementia risk.
They noted that further studies are needed to confirm their findings.