Table 1:
Number of Studies by Study Type, Outcome, Finding, for Each Drug Class.
| Drug Class | Total RCT & Obs | Study Type | Outcome (RCT & Obs) | Finding (RCT & Obs) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCT | Obs | LR/MA | AD | Dem | Cog | Dec | Inc | No/Weak | ||
| All antihypertensives | 6 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| ACE/ARB | 55 | 9 | 46 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 18 | 36 | 1 | 18 |
| Beta blockers | 16 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 7 |
| CCBs | 22 | 2 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
| Diuretics | 19 | 3 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| Statins | 57 | 11 | 46 | 27 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 32 | 3 | 21 |
| All antidepressants | 11 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| SSRIs | 26 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
| SNRIs | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| SARIs | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Tricyclics* | 12 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Tetracyclics* | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| MAOIs | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Biguanides | 13 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| Sulfonylureas | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Insulin | 11 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| DPP-4s | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| GLP-1s | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TZDs | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Proton Pump Inhibitors* | 12 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| BZDs | 24 | 0 | 24 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 8 |
| Non-BZD hypnotics | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Atypical antipsychotics | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| NSAIDs | 24 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 6 |
| DMARDs | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Anticoagulants | 9 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Antiplatelets | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Antispasmodics* | 11 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| Antihistamines* | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Antimanics (lithium) | 13 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 397 | 71 | 326 | 137 | 76 | 170 | 151 | 179 | 84 | 133 |
Abbreviations
RCT Randomized controlled trial
Obs Observational, including prospective, retrospective, and postmortem
LR/MA Literature reviews and meta analyses.
AD Alzheimer’s disease incidence/diagnosis outcomes and AD pathology
Dem Dementia incidence/diagnosis outcomes
Cog Cognition outcomes - performance or change in performance on cognitive tests (e.g. MMSE)
Dec Drug decreases risk of AD/dementia and reduced or lower cognition - neuroprotective
Inc Drug increases risk of AD/dementia and reduced or lower cognition
No/Weak No or weak relationship between drug and any cognitive outcome.
Notes:
*
hypothesized to increase risk