When it comes to cognitive problems such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, one of the biggest challenges is in finding an effective solution for slowing down the development of their symptoms. A possible breakthrough in accomplishing this challenge is a recent study conducted by experts at University College Cork. The study discovered that ACE inhibitors, which are commonly used in regulating blood pressure, may alleviate or slow down some of the symptoms of these cognitive diseases.
Studies on ACE inhibitors and cognitive diseases
The study published in BMJ Open, involved a careful research on 800 different medical records of individuals with vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers kept a track on how the disease progressed over a period of six months. The data suggested that individuals undergoing blood pressure treatments with ACE inhibitors experienced loss of memory at a rate 20-30% slower than those who didn’t use these medications.
A similar study was conducted at Lennox Hill Hospital, New York City. A team of researchers studied more than 350 elderly individuals living with a cognitive problem, out of which 1/4th were using ACE inhibitors. 30 more were started on the medications during the study. According to data collected, dementia patients who began using the medications experienced a slight improvement during the first six months. These medications work by entering the brain through the bloodstream. The most common of these medications include captopril (Capoten), rampiril (Altace), perindopril (Aceon), and fosinopril (Monopril).
According to the study, there was a decline of 1.8 points in the cognitive test scores of participants who were already using ACE inhibitors. For those who were not on the medications, there was a decline rate of 2.1 points. Patients who started using the medications during the study period had a 1.2 points rise in their test scores during the first six months,
Limitations on the studies
Despite the fact that these results are quite promising, extensive research is yet to be conducted for conclusive results. Experts believe that the research on cognitive diseases are still directed at the treatment for their symptoms, yet there is hardly any information on preventing and curing these conditions. Currently, symptomatic drugs are basically the medications used in the treatments of conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Since they only have a temporary effect, there is much to be done in finding a medication for prevention of these conditions. What we have learned so far is that lifestyle choices may play an important role in whether or not an individual develops a cognitive disease.
However, these latest studies suggest that an individual’s cardiovascular health could be closely connected to their cognitive abilities. Past studies conducted by various research teams have revealed that individuals whose hearts pumped less blood are likely to have smaller brains than those with regular cardiac function. A study conducted by the Boston University School of Medicine reported that individuals with poor cardiac output tended to age two years faster than healthier individuals.
All these studies suggest that managing your blood pressure as well as other cardiovascular risk factors may be a key factor in preventing or slowing down the progression of dementia. Clinical trials are yet to be conducted to prove whether or not ACE inhibitors can effectively slow down the development of dementia symptoms.
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