Cardiovascular diseases and dementia are 2 major public health challenges which prove through studies, and via cerebrovascular health, to be closely linked. One of the lead authors, Dr. Mozhu Ding, professor of environmental medicine at Karolinska Institutet notes that by targeting long-term cardiovascular health through medication targeting the cardiovascular system (antihypertensives, cholesterol-lowering drugs, diuretics, anticoagulants),
It is possible with these medications to reduce the risk of dementia later in life.
The study analyzes health and prescription data from 88,000 participants, aged over 70, diagnosed with dementia vs. 880,000 controls, free of dementia. This analysis reveals that:
- long-term use ofantihypertensives, cholesterol-lowering drugs, diuretics and anticoagulants is associated with a 4% to 25% lower risk of dementia;
- combinations of these drugs exert even more protective synergistic effects;
- on the other hand, antiplatelet drugs appear “may be” linked to a higher risk of dementia: a possible explanation would be the increased risk, with these drugs, of cerebral microhemorrhages, associated with the acceleration of cognitive decline.
The approach recommended by these researchers is ultimately « plus large »car it recommends adapted combinations of drugs targeting the cardiovascular system differently– which constitutes a completely new way of preventing dementia.
However, researchers emphasize the importance of conducting randomized controlled clinical trials, to better understand the mechanisms underlying these cognitive benefits.
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