Influences of donepezil on cardiovascular system--possible therapeutic benefits for heart failure--donepezil cardiac test registry (DOCTER) study.
To study prospectively influences of donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor against Alzheimer disease, on cardiovascular system, we evaluated cardiovascular changes occurring during new initialized treatment with donepezil in 49 dementia patients over 6 months. No patient suffered from cardiovascular events. In clinical changes between baseline and the first evaluation after donepezil treatment, heart rate and plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels as a marker for heart failure did not change (BNP: 59.62 ± 62.71 pg/mL at baseline to 53.18 ± 42.34 pg/mL at first evaluation; P = 0.262). We further examined plasma BNP levels in 2 groups into which the patients were divided at baseline according to the cut-off plasma BNP level of 60 pg/mL. In patients with high level of BNP, the BNP levels decreased after administration of donepezil (116.39 ± 76.58 pg/mL at baseline to 82.24 ± 46.64 pg/mL at first evaluation; P = 0.011) with the tendency to be reduced in the follow-up period. BNP did not change in patients with low level of BNP. Donepezil seemed to be safe in patients with dementia without symptomatic heart disease and significantly decreased plasma BNP levels in patients with subclinical chronic heart failure.
Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Kochi Medical School, Kochi, Japan.
Toru
T
Kubo
Takayuki
T
Sato
Tatsuya
T
Noguchi
Hiroaki
H
Kitaoka
Fumiyasu
F
Yamasaki
Naoto
N
Kamimura
Shinji
S
Shimodera
Tatsuo
T
Iiyama
Naoko
N
Kumagai
Yoshihiko
Y
Kakinuma
André
A
Diedrich
Jens
J
Jordan
David
D
Robertson
Yoshinori L
YL
Doi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil