Blood Pressure Drugs Could Cut Dementia Risk

Certain blood pressure drugs could decrease the risk of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, say researchers.

A team of researchers found that people over the age of 75 with normal cognition who used diuretics, angiotensin-1 receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors showed a reduced risk of AD dementia by at least 50 percent. In addition, diuretics were associated with 50 percent reduced risk in those in the group with mild cognitive impairment.

Alzheimer’s disease - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Stages, Types, Prevention, Prognosis & Treatment
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory and thinking and making the person increasingly dependent on others.

Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers did not show a link to reduced risk, the scientists reported.

"Identifying new pharmacological treatments to prevent or delay the onset of AD dementia is critical given the dearth of effective interventions to date," the author, Sevil Yasar, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Department of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said.

According to the researchers, the study was able to show that the beneficial effect of these blood pressure medications are maybe in addition to blood pressure control, and could help clinicians in selecting an antihypertensive medication based not only on blood pressure control, but also on additional benefits.

Quiz on Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is an important vital sign. Answer this Quiz and learn more about blood pressure.

Yasar and her colleagues conducted a "post-hoc" analysis of information gathered originally in the so-called Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study (GEMS) study.

Yasar said that while the GEMS trial showed no benefit of ginkgo biloba in reducing incidence of dementia, information was also available among the study participants related to their use of several classes of antihypertensive drugs.

Two Blood Pressure Drugs Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk
Telmisartan and valsartan - drugs used to reduce blood pressure are associated with a lower risk of hospitalization for heart attack, stroke or heart failure, shows study published in CMAJ.

Extensive studies suggested that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for dementias including AD, and there had been suggestions that drugs used to control blood pressure conferred a protective effect on the brain in addition to controlling blood pressure.

The study is published in the journal Neurology.

Risk of Kidney Problems High Among Those Who Take Combination of Blood Pressure Drugs and Painkillers
A new study reveals that the risk of serious kidney problems is high among patients who are given a triple combination of painkillers and blood pressure drugs.

Source-ANI