title: Cardiovascular effects of donepezil in patients with dementia.
abstract: Heart rate variability is used to assess cardiovascular autonomic function. The cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil potentially affects parasympathetic activity. Twenty participants with Alzheimer's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies were treated with donepezil in a pilot study. Power spectral analysis was used to analyse 5 min of beat-to-beat RR interval data in 15 cases. Heart rate variability was significantly reduced following treatment with donepezil; mainly for high frequency (median changed from 581 to 78 ms2; p = 0.001) but also for total power (median changed from 1,563 to 844 ms2; p = 0.047). Donepezil may adversely influence cardiovascular autonomic control. These results indicate the need for larger controlled trials to further investigate the cardiovascular effects of donepezil.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. a.t.mclaren@ncl.ac.uk
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: McLaren
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kenny
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010880:Piperidines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013575:Syncope / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil