Certain Combinations of Cardiovascular Drugs May Reduce Dementia Risk

A University of Southern California (USC) study in PLOS One for the first time suggests that combined blood pressure and cholesterol medications could benefit people with dementia, reports USC News . "We know that managing hyperlipidemia and hypertension is important, and this study tells us there might be certain combinations of drugs that have additional benefits for Alzheimer's and other dementias beyond the management of those targeted conditions," said University of Washington, Seattle Professor Douglas Barthold. Researchers examined the medical and pharmacy claims of a random 20 percent sample of Medicare beneficiaries 67 and higher, enrolled in traditional Medicare from 2007 to 2014. The investigators associated Medicare Parts A (inpatient care), B (outpatient care), and D (prescription drugs) claims with enrollment files that included characteristics like race and sex. Use of cholesterol-controlling drugs pravastatin and rosuvastatin, in combination with angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) for high blood pressure, was linked to lower risk for dementia compared to other drug combinations. People using pravastatin and rosuvastatin plus ARBs were at a particularly lower risk — especially men. Using ARBs with pravastatin correlated with 21 percent lower odds of a dementia diagnosis, versus subjects using other combinations of drugs. "Even small delays in onset can dramatically reduce the burden on patients, caregivers, and the health system as a whole," concluded USC's Julie Zissimopoulos.