This site uses cookies to measure how you use the website so it can be updated and improved based on your needs and also uses cookies to help remember the notifications you’ve seen, like this one, so that we don’t show them to you again. If you could also tell us a little bit about yourself, this information will help us understand how we can support you better and make this site even easier for you to use and navigate.

Duration of antihypertensive drug use and risk of dementia: A prospective cohort study

Authors

Haag, M. D. M., Hofman, A., Koudstaal, P. J., Breteler, M. M. B., Stricker, B. H. C.

Journal

Neurology, Volume: 72, No.: 20, Pages.: 1727-1734

Year of Publication

2009

Abstract

Background: The evidence from prospective observational research for a protective effect of antihypertensive drug use on the risk of dementia is far from uniform. Duration of follow-up was limited and relied mainly on baseline drug exposure data without information on duration of use. We investigated the association between the duration of antihypertensive use and risk of dementia. Methods: We followed 6,249 participants (mean 68.4 years, 60% women) of a prospective, population-based cohort from baseline (1990–1993) until 2005 for incident dementia. Continuous data on filled prescriptions came from pharmacy records. Total cumulative duration of antihypertensive use was expressed in years. We subtracted a latent 4-year period before the date of dementia diagnosis in the quantification of exposure duration to avoid potential bias in antihypertensive prescription due to prodromal changes in blood pressure or cognition. With Cox regression models, we calculated crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of all dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD) with antihypertensive use vs never used. Results: Compared to never used, antihypertensive use was associated with a reduced risk of all dementia (adjusted HR per year of use 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91–0.99). We observed an 8% (95% CI –15% to –1%) risk reduction per year of use for persons ≤75 years, whereas for persons >75 years this was 4% (95% CI –11% to 4%). Equivalent estimates were observed for AD. No apparent differences were observed among different types of antihypertensive drugs. Conclusions: Antihypertensive drug use was associated with 8% risk reduction of dementia per year of use for persons ≤75 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). (journal abstract)

Bibtex Citation

@article{Haag_2009, doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000345062.86148.3f}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000345062.86148.3f}, year = 2009, month = {feb}, publisher = {Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)}, volume = {72}, number = {20}, pages = {1727--1734}, author = {M.D.M. Haag and A. Hofman and P. J. Koudstaal and M. M.B. Breteler and B. H.C. Stricker}, title = {Duration of antihypertensive drug use and risk of dementia: A prospective cohort study}, journal = {Neurology} }

Keywords

antihypertensive, antihypertensive drug, antihypertensive drugs, dementia, drugs, of, regression models, risk factors, statistical regression, use

Countries of Study

Netherlands

Types of Dementia

Dementia (general / unspecified)

Types of Study

Cohort Study

Type of Outcomes

Cognition

Type of Interventions

Risk Factor Modification

Risk Factor Modifications

At risk population