Treatment practices of mild cognitive impairment in California Alzheimer's Disease Centers.
OBJECTIVE
To examine "real world" treatments for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).


METHODS
Cross-sectional.


METHODS
California Department of Public Health Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Research Centers of California.


METHODS
Five hundred seventy-eight patients diagnosed with MCI.


METHODS
All patients underwent comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological evaluations. Logistic regression models were used to determine patient characteristics associated with use of anti-AD medications, statins, antioxidants, and folic acid.


RESULTS
One hundred sixty-six patients (28.7%) were taking anti-AD medications; use was associated with greater functional impairment, higher education, MCI subtype, and older age (P<.05 for all). Two hundred fifty-two patients (43.6%) were taking statins; use was associated with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, myocardial infarct, male sex, and MCI subtype (P<.05 for all). One hundred fifteen patients (19.9%) were taking antioxidants; use was associated with higher education and diabetes mellitus and varied according to site (P<.05 for all). Thirty-seven patients (6.4%) were taking folic acid; use was associated with nonwhite race, male sex, and greater functional impairment (P<.05 for all).


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that patients with MCI are frequently being treated with "off label" cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, as well as other possible cognition-enhancing drugs. Further investigation of the effect of treatment patterns on the clinical course of MCI is needed.
Weinstein
Andrea M
AM
San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
Barton
Cynthia
C
Ross
Leslie
L
Kramer
Joel H
JH
Yaffe
Kristine
K
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002140:California; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000975:Antioxidants; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D005492:Folic Acid; D008559:Memantine