Blood Pressure Drugs Save Memory?
Reported July 27, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) Proven beneficial to the heart and kidneys, research shows certain blood pressure drugs called ACE inhibitors may also benefit the brain.
A specific type of ACE inhibitor known as centrally acting can cross the blood-brain barrier. A study involving 5,888 participants over the age of 65 analyzed the effect of centrally acting ACE inhibitors, finding lower rates of mental decline in patients who took the drugs. In addition, participants exposed to the drugs saw 65 percent less cognitive decline per year compared to patients taking other blood pressure medications.
The new research demonstrates the importance of choosing the right blood pressure medicine. Patients taking ACE inhibitors which did not cross the blood brain barrier were at 73 percent greater risk for developing dementia when compared against other blood pressure medications.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, July 2009
