Statistics indicate that close to eight million UK residents are grappling with heart disease or related conditions, the two leading causes of death in the country. The high prevalence has made medications for heart and cholesterol management almost a staple, mainly among the elderly population.
Middle-aged individuals commonly find themselves on beta blockers or statins to combat high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol, with these medicines becoming part of the daily routine for countless Brits. However, recent studies could change how we perceive these drugs after new findings suggest additional perks to these well-known treatments.
The connection between various forms of dementia and heart illnesses has long been known, but researchers have now found that long-term use of heart medications could actually slash the odds of developing dementia by as much as 24 percent. Published in the journal ‘Alzheimer’s and Dementia’, the investigation led by Professor Mozhu Ding announced: “We can see a clear link between long-term use – five years or more – of these drugs and reduced risk of dementia in older age.”
Conducted at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet, Professor Ding and her crew scrutinised the data of roughly 88,000 Swedes above 70 diagnosed with dementia from 2011 to 2016, employing a control group of 880,000 to refine their findings further. Their research meticulously linked this data with Swedish prescription registers.
A recent study has uncovered that individuals who regularly take certain heart medications, such as cholesterol drugs, antihypertensive agents, diuretics, or blood thinners, could see a reduced risk of dementia by four to 24 per cent. This is particularly noteworthy as dementia ranks as another leading cause of death in the UK.
However, not all heart-related drugs were associated with positive outcomes; those on anti-platelet medication to prevent strokes and blood clots faced an increased risk of dementia. Medical News highlighted this might be due to “these drugs increase the risk of microbleeds in the brain, which are associated with cognitive decline.”
The study marks a significant step in understanding the wider patterns of dementia risk among users of various heart medications. One researcher emphasised: “Previous studies have focused on individual drugs and specific patient groups but in this study, we take a broader approach.”
They added, “We currently have no cure for dementia, so it’s important to find preventive measures.”
