Long-Term Use of Common Cardiovascular Drugs Could Prevent Dementia in Older Age

Long-term use of common cardiovascular drugs like antihypertensive drugs and diuretics may reduce the risk of dementia in older adults.

Cardiovascular disease and dementia are major public health concerns that place a substantial strain on healthcare systems and society. A recent study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden reveals that prolonged use of commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications is linked to a reduced risk of developing dementia in later years ().

The study results were published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

“We can see a clear link between long-term use – five years or more – of these drugs and reduced risk of dementia in older age,” says Mozhu Ding, assistant professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and one of the lead authors of the paper.

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Study Design and Data Sources

The researchers used Swedish national registers. Around 88,000 people over the age of 70 who were diagnosed with dementia between 2011 and 2016 were included in the study, as well as 880,000 controls. Information on cardiovascular medicines was obtained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register.

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Combined Drug Use Shows Stronger Protective Effects

The results show that long-term use of antihypertensive drugs, cholesterol-lowering drugs, diuretics, and blood-thinning drugs is associated with between 4 and 25 percent lower risk of dementia. Combinations of the drugs had stronger protective effects than if they were used alone.

“Previous studies have focused on individual drugs and specific patient groups but in this study, we take a broader approach,” says Alexandra Wennberg, affiliated researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine and the other lead author of the paper.

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Antiplatelet Drugs and Elevated Dementia Risk

The researchers also found that, on the contrary, the use of antiplatelet drugs may be linked to a higher risk of dementia. Antiplatelet drugs are medicines used to prevent strokes and stop platelets from clumping together. One possible explanation is that these drugs increase the risk of microbleeds in the brain, which are associated with cognitive decline.

The study is an important piece of the puzzle for finding new treatments for dementia, according to the researchers.

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Need for Further Research on Dementia Prevention

“We currently have no cure for dementia, so it’s important to find preventive measures,” says Alexandra Wennberg.

The researchers stress the importance of further studies, especially randomized controlled clinical trials, to better understand the mechanisms behind the findings. Among other things, they will continue to study how diet and lifestyle, in addition to drug treatment for cardiovascular disease, affect the risk of developing dementia.

Reference:

Use of common cardiovascular disease drugs and risk of dementia: A case-control study in Swedish national register data - (https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.14389)

Source-Eurekalert