Taking ibuprofen for more than five years may decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, new research reveals.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine analyzed more than 49,000 U.S. veterans aged 55 and older who developed Alzheimer’s and nearly 200,000 who had no form of dementia. They looked at more than five years of prescription data from the U.S. Veterans Affairs health care system, and at several different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The study found that those who were prescribed ibuprofen (sold under many brand names, including Motrin and Advil) for more than five years were 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared with those who did not. In fact, the longer they used ibuprofen, the lower their risk was.

Overall, the researchers found that use of NSAIDs for five years was linked with a 24 percent reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

"Some of these medications taken long-term decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but it's very dependent on the exact drugs used. It doesn't appear that all NSAIDs decrease the risk at the same rate," Dr. Steven Vlad of Boston University School of Medicine, lead author of the study said, as quoted by Reuters.

Dr. Vlad explained the findings by saying that ibuprofen may have to do with reducing inflammation in the brain, reducing a component of the plaques, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. Anyway, nothing is for sure.

“A clinical trial of ibuprofen for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease would be reasonable to get the risks and benefits. There's also going to be ongoing research into developing drugs like ibuprofen without the toxicities,” Dr. Vlad said, as quoted by the Washington Post.

However significant the study’s findings are, they don’t succeed to end a long debate over the role of NSAIDs in the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer’s. NSAIDs’ gastrointestinal side effects are too damaging to consider taking them for long periods.

“This discussion has been going on for a while. This trial is big enough and the results are good enough that it may reopen the debate -- that we should do a prevention study with these medications. Probably people shouldn't be taking these medications just to prevent Alzheimer's. The effect is too uncertain and the side effects are pretty well known,” said William Thies, vice president of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association.

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 18 million people worldwide with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2025, that number is expected to reach 34 million, as existing drugs can ease symptoms but do not stop the disease. Alzheimer’s causes a progressive loss of memory and mental faculties, which can be devastating for the patients concerned and those around them.

The findings appeared in the May 6 issue of the journal Neurology.