A specific kind of blood pressure medication called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) may slow a person's rate of cognitive decline in the case of dementia and perhaps even boost brain power, a report published in BMJ Open found.
The study included 361 people either diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia or both. Of this number, 85 were already taking ACE inhibitors; the rest were not. In addition, the researchers looked at 30 patients who had only been taking the medication for six months.
Between 1999 and 2010, the cognitive decline of each patient was assessed using either the Standardized Mini Mental State Examination (SMMSE) or the Quick Mild Impairment (Qmci) screen on two occasions six months apart.
Based on the results, the researchers determined that those on the drugs experienced "marginally" slower rates of cognitive decline, as seen in an average decline of 1.8 points every six months of those on the ACE drugs compared to 2.1 for those who were not.
Such differences, the authors argue, though "small and of uncertain clinical significance," could add up over the years to result in "significant" benefits.
Furthermore, the scientists found that the brain power of those patients newly prescribed ACE inhibitors actually improved over the six month period, compared with those already taking them and those not taking them at all.
One reason for this, the researchers hypothesize, is that these patients stuck to their medication regimen better. Another possibility is that the improvement in cognitive functioning may be a result of better blood pressure control, or improved blood flow to the brain, suggest the authors.
Though not the first study to suggest a link between blood pressure medication and a slowing of cognitive decline, the researchers warn that the study is only an observational one, cautioning that recent evidence indicates that ACE inhibitors may be harmful in some cases.
For this reason, the researchers argue larger studies are needed to determine if they do in fact work well in the case of staving off dementia and whether or not this is true across the board.