Researchers learned that the cheap dementia drug may keep late-stage patients out of nursing homes since just 20 percent of people who remained on the drug were taken into nursing homes within 12 months, as compared with 37 percent of those who were taken off the drug.
Advertisement
However, a new analysis of a 2012 trial has found that withdrawing donepezil doubled the risk of a patient being moved to a nursing home after a year.
It is now only approved for mild-to-moderate disease, so patients often stop taking it when they deteriorate.
The research reveals the role of benzodiazepines as it contributes to the delay of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and raised concerns about the practice of symptom-based treatment prior and around diagnosis.
Professionals like head of neurosciences and mental health at the Medical Research Council, Dr. Kathryn Adcock also believe, keeping in mind the encouraging results of the study, that the search for and development of a cure for dementia should continue with an emphasis on making the absolute most of the drugs that are available as forms of symptomatic treatment. Through a random selection, a few patients continued to use Donepezil (also known for its brand name Aricept) while a few were given an inactive placebo drug.
While withdrawing donepezil increased the risk of needing residential care, memantine was not found to have any effect on the risk of moving to a nursing home.
On average, the annual cost of residential care for people with dementia ranges between £30,732 and £34,424. By comparison, the cost of donepezil is £21.59 per year – amounting to less than 6p a day.
“This is good news, but the results should be interpreted with caution”.
“We are all impatient for the advent of true disease-modifying drugs that can slow or halt the Alzheimer’s process, but donepezil is available right now and at modest cost”, Howard said.
Treatments such as donepezil can help better support people with dementia to lead independent lives for a longer period of time and extend the time they are able to spend in their own homes, with their loved ones.
“We urge clinicians to consider the implications of this research and adjust their prescribing patterns accordingly”, he added.
Advertisement
Benzodiazepines and related drugs are initiated frequently in persons with Alzheimer’s disease already before the diagnosis, and their use becomes even more common after the diagnosis, shows a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland.
