Alzheimer's drug may slow down cognitive decline in dementia with Lewy bodies: Study

In the current study, researchers have examined the long-term effects of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and memantine compared with no treatment for up to ten years in 1,095 patients with DLB. They found that ChEIs may slow down cognitive decline over five years compared to memantine or no treatment. ChEIs were also associated with a reduced risk of death in the first year after diagnosis.

“Our results highlight the potential benefits of ChEIs for patients with DLB and support updating treatment guidelines,” says Maria Eriksdotter, professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and last author of the paper.

Due to the study’s observational nature, no conclusions can be drawn about causality. The researchers did not have data on patient lifestyle habits, frailty, blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s disease co-pathology, which may have influenced the findings. Another limitation of the study is that it remains challenging to diagnose DLB accurately.

Reference:

Hong Xu, Annegret Habich, Daniel Ferreira, Londos Elisabet, Eric Westman, Maria Eriksdotter, Long-term effects of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine on cognitive decline, cardiovascular events, and mortality in dementia with Lewy bodies: An up to 10-year follow-up study, Alzheimer s & Dementia, https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14118.