Regular laxative use linked with greater dementia risk, new study says

The research reported that people who regularly use laxatives are up to 50% more likely to develop dementia than those who do not take the medicine. 

People who used multiple laxatives, or only osmotic laxatives (a type of laxative that attracts water to the colon to soften stool) had an even greater risk, according to the study.

Other types of laxatives are bulk-forming, stool-softening, and stimulating.

People who used multiple laxatives, or only osmotic laxatives, a type of laxative that attracts water to the colon to soften stool, had an even greater risk, the study says. ( PA) (Image: PA)

Regular laxative use could increase chances of developing dementia by up to 50 per cent

502,229 people from UK biobank – a database of genetic and health information from 500,000 participants nationwide – were involved in the study.

The research featured participants with an average age of 57 who did not have dementia.

Of this group, 18,235 people, or 3.6%, reported using over-the-counter laxatives most days of the week during the month before the study.

This was considered regular use by the researchers.

The findings do not prove that laxatives cause dementia, but researchers said that they do suggest an association. 

The scientists went on to say that if their findings are confirmed by further studies, it could lead doctors to encourage patients to make lifestyle changes in order to treat constipation.

These lifestyle changes could include drinking more water, eating more fibre and adding more activity into their daily lives.

The author of the study, Feng Sha, of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangdong, China, said: “Constipation and laxative use are common among middle-aged and older adults.

“However, regular laxative use may change the microbiome of the gut, possibly affecting nerve signalling from the gut to the brain or increasing the production of intestinal toxins that may affect the brain.

“Our research found regular use of over-the-counter laxatives was associated with a higher risk of dementia, particularly in people who used multiple laxative types or osmotic laxatives.”

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Osmotic and stimulant laxatives were both not recommended for regular use in the study.

There were many regular users of the medications in this study, the researchers said.

The Neurology journal published research found that over an average of 10 years, 218 of those who regularly used laxatives, 1.3%, developed dementia.

Meanwhile, those who did not regularly use laxatives, 1,969 people, or 0.4%, developed dementia.

Researchers also took other factors into consideration including age, other medication use, family history of dementia and other illnesses. 

They concluded that people who regularly used laxatives had a 51% increased risk of overall dementia compared to people who did not.

There was a 28% increased risk for those using one type of laxative compared to a 90% increased risk for people taking two or more types of laxatives.

However, among those only taking osmotic laxatives, there was a 64% increase compared to those who did not use laxatives.

More studies are needed to investigate the link they found between laxatives and dementia, according to the scientists.