Commonly used cardiovascular medications are associated with a lower risk of dementia in old age, according to a new study from the Karolinska Institutet, published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Cardiovascular disease and dementia are major public health challenges that place a heavy burden on both healthcare and society. A new study from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that long-term use of common cardiovascular medications is associated with a lower risk of dementia later in life.
We can see a clear link between long-term use – five years or more – of these medications and a reduced risk of dementia in old age.”
Mozhu Ding, assistant professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and one of the lead authors of the paper
The researchers used Swedish national registers. About 88,000 people over the age of 70 who were diagnosed with dementia between 2011 and 2016 took part in the study, as well as 880,000 controls. Information on cardiovascular drugs was obtained from the Swedish Drug Register.
The results show that long-term use of antihypertensive medications, cholesterol-lowering medications, diuretics and blood-thinning medications is associated with a 4 to 25 percent lower risk of dementia. Combinations of the drugs had stronger protective effects than when they were used alone.
“Previous studies have focused on individual drugs and specific patient groups, but in this study we take a broader approach,” said Alexandra Wennberg, affiliated researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine and the other lead author of the paper.
The researchers also found that the use of antiplatelet drugs may actually be associated with a higher risk of dementia. Antiplatelet drugs are drugs 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 are linked to cognitive decline.
According to the researchers, the study is an important piece of the puzzle for finding new treatments for dementia.
“We currently have no cure for dementia, so it is important to find preventive measures,” says Alexandra Wennberg.
The researchers emphasize the importance of further research, especially randomized controlled clinical trials, to better understand the mechanisms behind the findings. Among other things, they will further investigate how diet and lifestyle, in addition to drug treatment of cardiovascular disease, influence the risk of developing dementia.
The research was conducted by Karolinska Institutet and Lund University with research funding from Karolinska Institutet. Alexandra Wennberg has received funding from Janssen Phamaceutica NV for an unrelated project.
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Magazine reference:
Ding, M.et al. (2024). Use of common cardiovascular disease medications and the risk of dementia: a case-control study using data from the Swedish National Register. Alzheimer’s and dementia. doi.org/10.1002/alz.14389.