FORT WORTH, Texas - Taking aspirin and other anti-inflammatory medications for at least two years may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study.

The findings, being published today in the journal Neurology, support the possibility that low-cost, over-the-counter medications help combat the inflammatory mechanisms believed to play a role in the debilitating brain disease.

Anti-inflammatory medications - sometimes as little as a baby aspirin daily - have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancer.

The study, which tracked 5,092 Utah residents 65 and older, examined anti-inflammatory medications, including ibuprofen and naproxen.