A new study conducted by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has revealed that long-term use of common cardiovascular medications is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia later in life. The results of the study were published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia on November 18.
Cardiovascular disease and dementia are major public health challenges that cause a significant burden on both health care and society.
Dementia
Dementia is a term given to several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities. The disease gets worse over time. It mainly affects the elderly, but not all people become infected with it as they grow older.
Dementia can be caused by a number of diseases that destroy nerve cells and damage the brain over time, usually leading to a decline in cognitive function beyond what we might expect from the usual consequences of biological aging. While consciousness is not affected, impaired cognitive function is usually accompanied by, and sometimes preceded by, changes in mood, emotional control, or behavior.
Medicines that protect against dementia
The researchers used Swedish national registries, and about 88,000 people over the age of 70 who were diagnosed with dementia between 2011 and 2016 were included in the study, in addition to 880,000 people without a diagnosis of dementia. Information on cardiovascular medications was obtained from the Swedish Prescription Medicines Register.
The results show that long-term use of blood pressure-lowering medications, cholesterol-lowering medications, diuretics, and blood-thinning medications is associated with a 4 to 25 percent lower risk of dementia. The drugs combined had stronger protective effects than if each drug was used alone.
“Previous studies have focused on specific drugs and specific patient groups, but in this study, we are taking a broader approach,” says Alexandra Weinberg, a researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine and one of the study’s co-authors.
The researchers also found that, conversely, the use of antiplatelet medications may be associated with a higher risk of dementia. Antiplatelet drugs are medications used to prevent strokes and keep platelets from clumping together. One possible explanation is that these drugs increase the risk of microbleeds in the brain, which is associated with cognitive decline.
“We can see a clear link between long-term use – five years or more – of these drugs and a reduced risk of developing dementia in old age,” says Muzo Deng, assistant professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet, and one of the researchers involved in the study – according to the EurekAlert website. “.
According to the researchers, the study forms an important piece of the puzzle to find new treatments for dementia. “We currently have no cure for dementia, so it is important to find preventive measures,” says Alexandra Weinberg.