A possible effect of montelukast on neurological aging examined by the use of register data

BackgroundThe leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast has been shown to rejuvenate aged brains in rats; however, data on humans are still scarce.ObjectiveTo investigate if montelukast may alleviate degenerative neurological changes using a register data.SettingNorwegian registry data analyses.MethodThe present observational study was based on data from the Norwegian Prescription Database and the Tromso Study. The former has information regarding the use of prescription medicine; the latter includes tests for brain function such as subjective memory and finger-tapping. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to see how the use of various medications correlated with the test results, correcting for likely confounders.Main outcome measureResults on seven different tests considered relevant for neurological health were used as outcome.ResultsPrevious use of montelukast correlated with improved scores on cognitive or neurological functioning (F = 2.20,p = 0.03 in a multivariate test). A range of other medications were tested with the same algorithm, including drugs acting on the immune system, but none of them correlated with (overall) significantly improved test results.ConclusionThe present data suggest that montelukast may alleviate degenerative neurological changes associated with human aging.

Automated summary

Data from Norwegian registry analyses suggested that previous use of montelukast may improve cognitive or neurological functioning, while other medications tested did not show significant improvement in test results overall.