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American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias logoLink to American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
. 2008 Feb-Mar;23(1):77–83. doi: 10.1177/1533317507309803

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Cognitive and Functional Decline in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: An Observational Study

Ihab M Hajjar 1, Michelle Keown 2, Paige Lewis 3, Amit Almor 4
PMCID: PMC10846175  PMID: 18276960

Abstract

We previously reported that angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) decrease the rate of cognitive decline in elderly patients with hypertension, but their impact on patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not known. A total of 62 elderly patients with AD were enrolled, and 52 completed the study for 6 months. Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Clock Draw Test (CDT), working memory (Digit Ordering), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, and the Screen for Caregiver Burden (SCB) were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. AD patients receiving ACEI (N = 15) demonstrated a slower rate of decline in digit forward (P = .003) and IADL scale (P = .003) and an improved measure of caregiver burden (P = .04) but not MMSE (P =.15) or CDT (P =.9) compared with those not receiving ACEI after adjusting for other risk factors. This study suggests that use of ACEI in AD patients is associated with slower rate of AD progression. A randomized clinical trial is needed to confirm our finding.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, hypertension

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Contributor Information

Ihab M. Hajjar, Institute for Aging Research/Hebrew SeniorLife, Harvard Medical School, and the Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, ihabhajjar@hrca.harvard.edu .

Michelle Keown, Division of Geriatrics, Palmetto Health Richland, University of South Carolina.

Paige Lewis, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina.

Amit Almor, Department of Psychology University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.

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