ARBs Offer Protection against Alzheimer's
 
Arch Neurol. Online before print, September 10, 2012

Treatment with angiotensin receptor blockers(ARBs) was
associated with less Alzheimer's disease-like pathology
in the brain compared with treatment with other antihypertensive
agents, confirms an autopsy study.

Researchers analyzed neuropathologic and clinical data
890 enrollees in the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center,
a nationwide repository of data from 29 Alzheimer's Disease Centers.
On the criteria for neuropathology established by the Consortium
to Establish a Registry of Alzheimer Disease,
fewer patients who had been treated with ARBs during life
had Alzheimer's disease confirmed postmortem compared with
those given other antihypertensive agents(37% vs 54%, respectively).
After adjustment for covariates, the odds ratio for an Alzheimer's
disease pathologic diagnosis at autopsy was 0.47 for those
who had used ARBs compared with other antihypertensive drugs.
The likelihood of having a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease was
32% to 35% lower if ARBs were the antihypertensive used.

The ARBs currently in use are Cozaar(losartan), Benicar(olmesartan),
Micardis(telemisartan), Atacand(candesartan), Avapro(irbesartan),
Edarbi(azilsartan).