Oral Anticoagulants Show Promise in Fighting Alzheimer's in Mice

A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found oral anticoagulant medications that help prevent blood clots and strokes could find potential use for treating Alzheimer's, reports Being Patient . The researchers concentrated on the effects of dabigatran, which is usually prescribed to treat deep vein thrombosis, as well as prevent strokes or blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation. The team administered the drug to mice to assess its impact on cerebral circulation. After one year, treated mice exhibited no memory loss or impairment in the brain's blood flow, and dabigatran also alleviated certain Alzheimer's symptoms — including cerebral inflammation, damaged blood vessels, and amyloid protein plaques. "Winning the battle against Alzheimer's disease will require individualized combination therapy targeting the various processes that contribute to this disease," noted Marta Cortes Canteli at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares. "One goal is to improve the cerebral circulation, and our study shows that treatment with oral anticoagulants has the potential to be an effective approach in Alzheimer's sufferers with a tendency to coagulation."