Breaking News English

Over- athe-counter (OTC) medicine is athe common part of our lives. Many of us pop into athe local pharmacy for cold and headache tablets, cough syrups or allergy treatments. Over-the-counter drugs save athe need to go to athe doctor's. However, we may be causing ourselves more harm than good with these convenient cures. athe new study published in athe journal JAMA Neurology suggests that many of these handy medicines have unwanted, and sometimes serious, side effects. Researchers say that such side effects in older adults who often take widely available OTC medicines for asthma, aches and pains, insomnia and allergies, etc. include cognitive impairment, dementia and even brain shrinkage.

athe study was conducted by athe Indiana University School of Medicine. Researchers examined athe link between OTC medications and cognition in "cognitively normal" older people who did not have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. athe scientists found that OTC drugs led to athe lower glucose metabolism, which is crucial for athe brain to be healthy and function properly. Dr. Shannon Risacher said: "These findings provide us with a much better understanding of how this class of drugs may act upon athe brain in ways that might raise athe risk of cognitive impairment and dementia." She added: "I certainly wouldn't advise my grandparents or even my parents to take these medications unless they have to."