N-Acetylcysteine and Dementia Risk in Elderly Patients
Mingyang Sun1, Zhongyuan Lu1,2, Wan-Ming Chen3,4
1Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China.
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
|April 16, 2026
Summary
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) use is linked to reduced dementia risk in elderly individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This association shows a dose-dependent effect, particularly for Alzheimer's dementia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Elderly individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) face increased dementia risk.
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant and mucolytic agent with potential neuroprotective properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between N-acetylcysteine (NAC) use and dementia risk in elderly COPD patients.
- To explore the dose-response relationship between NAC intake and dementia risk.
Main Methods:
- Population-based cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) with 105,144 elderly COPD patients.
- Propensity score matching (PSM) for covariate balance between NAC users and nonusers.
- Cox regression, Poisson regression, competing risk analysis, and Kaplan-Meier method to assess dementia risk and incidence.
Main Results:
- NAC use was significantly associated with a lower dementia risk (aHR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.74-0.78).
- A dose-dependent reduction in dementia risk was observed with higher NAC intake and cumulative doses.
- NAC use showed a significant association with reduced Alzheimer's dementia risk (aHR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.66-0.70).
Conclusions:
- NAC use demonstrates a dose-dependent protective effect against dementia in elderly COPD patients.
- The findings suggest NAC's potential role in mitigating dementia, especially Alzheimer's dementia, in this population.
- Further research and clinical consideration of NAC for dementia prevention in COPD patients are warranted.
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