Alzheimer's Disease Medications May Reduce Heart Risk, But What About Their Side Effects?

Researchers believe that Alzheimer's medications may reduce a patients' risk of heart attack and death.

According to a new study, scientists examined over 7,000 Alzheimer's disease patients in Sweden for more than three years who were taking cholinesterase inhibitors. Those on the inhibitors tended to have a 38 percent lower risk of heart attack, a 26 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular causes, including stroke, and a 36 percent lower risk of death from any cause, compared to those who were not on any medications.

To prove the point further, the study shows that patients who took the highest recommended doses of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) had the lowest risk of heart attack or death, with up to 65 percent and 46 percent lower than those who were not on the medications or had never taken them before.

"If you translate these reductions in risk into absolute figures, it means that for every 100,000 people with Alzheimer's disease, there would be 180 fewer heart attacks (295 as opposed to 475) and 1,125 fewer deaths from all causes (2,000 versus 3,125) every year among those taking ChEIs compared to those not using them," study author Professor Peter Nordstrom, of Umea University in Sweden, said in a journal news release, according to Health Magazine.

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia that can include general memory loss to the serious debilitation of intellectual abilities that interfere with daily life. The disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases, and the greatest known risk factors include increasing age, with the majority of the people with Alzheimer's being 65 and older.

Though no known cure exists, cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (brand name Aricept),galantamine (Razadyne, Reminyl) and rivastigmine (Exelon), are prescribed to help manage symptoms and slow disease progression in people with early- to moderate-stage disease.

Previous research has found that these drugs have a beneficial impact on the vagus nerve, which controls heart rate and may influence anti-inflammatory properties, according to studies.

 "As far as we know, this is the first time that the use of ChEIs has been linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks and deaths from cardiovascular disease in general or from any cause," Nordstrom said, via the study.

The findings for the study were published online June 5 in the European Heart Journal.

However, it's important to note that some Alzheimer's medications can have harmful side effects that need to be taken into consideration.

For instance, the drug Memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, which is often used to treat moderate to severe dementia, can lead to chronic overexposure of calcium over time. This, in turn, speeds up cell damage and can block NMDA receptors needed to slow the progression of the disease.

To view other common side effects of Alzheimer's medications, click here.