Therapeutic standards in Alzheimer disease.
Donepezil is an effective, well-tolerated, and easily administered symptomatic treatment for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease (AD). Data from Phase III clinical trials have demonstrated that donepezil improves cognition, global function, and activities of daily living. In addition, there were no clinically significant treatment-related effects on vital signs or laboratory values in any trial. Adverse events, when present, were generally mild in intensity, transient, and resolved during continued treatment with donepezil. This favorable safety profile, together with its reported clinical benefits established donepezil as one standard of AD therapy. Vitamin E is one of two anti-oxidant therapies that may help to slow the progression of AD over at least a two-year period. One large-scale clinical trial suggests that it has sufficient benefit and safety to join donepezil as a current standard of AD therapy.
Doody
R S
RS
Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. rdoody@bcm.tmc.edu
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077265:Donepezil; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D014810:Vitamin E; D000077265:Donepezil