Treat Your BP and Avoid Alzheimer’s

Though physicians like to distinguish between Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, there are lots of commonalities and quite a few overlaps. The situation is confused somewhat by a new study that reports a protective effect of high blood pressure drugs in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Over 3,300 participants from one county in Utah were assessed at baseline for the presence of Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. And at that time the medications taken by the participants was recorded. Three years later 104 additional cases of dementia were diagnosed. The use of antihypertensive medication was examined in relation to the incidence of new Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

Antihypertensive use at baseline was linked to a significantly lower incidence of Alzheimer’s – about 60% lower. Certain types of diuretics (water pills), called potassium-sparing diuretics, had the greatest effect in reducing the odds of Alzheimer’s (down to 25%). Other diuretics, beta blockers and calcium blockers also seemed to have a benefit, but they were not so effective. ACE-inhibitors provided no such advantage.

High blood pressure has been linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. And low potassium concentrations (raised by those potassium-sparing diuretics) have been linked to oxidative stress, inflammation, platelet aggregation, and vasoconstriction – you can take your pick which may be the culprit that’s reversed by the diuretic.

What were the potassium-sparing diuretics? Spironolactone (Aldactone®), amiloride (Milamor®), and triamterene (Dyrenium®).