Cheap Alzheimer's drug 'may help keep people out of care homes'

Conclusion This randomised controlled trial assessed the impact of continuing or discontinuing the Alzheimer's drug donepezil on the chances of nursing home admission in people with moderate to severe Alzheimer's. The study examined discontinuing or continuing donepezil, either alone or in combination with memantine, or switching to memantine alone. Memantine is currently licensed for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's, while donepezil is only licensed for mild to moderate forms of the disease. In this trial, people had already been taking donepezil for three to six months or more. These drugs are only given by specialists, and the continuation or discontinuation of the drug is usually decided on an individual basis, depending on a person's response and its effects on cognitive function.  The results of this study showed discontinuing donepezil was associated with an increased chance of participants being placed in a nursing home in the first year of not taking the drug, compared with those who continued to take it. Meanwhile, starting memantine had no effect. There was, however, no significant difference between these groups in the three years after the drugs had been stopped. Although randomised controlled trials are the best study design to look at whether a treatment works or not, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions from the results of this study alone. The study has primarily examined the effects of continued donepezil treatment on whether someon...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Mental health Neurology Older people Source Type: news