title: Do angiotensin receptor blockers protect against Alzheimer's disease?
abstract: Because growing evidence suggests that angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) effectively inhibit oxidative stress, amyloid beta protein (Aβ) metabolism, and tau phosphorylation in animal brains, ARBs are considered to be a potential candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Consistent with such basic studies, two recent observational studies and a small prospective, randomized, open-label trial have shown the effectiveness of ARBs in preventing AD and/or slowing its progression. Nonetheless, large clinical trials have not shown their effectiveness, but their results are debatable because of short follow-up durations and heterogeneity of the cognition assessments used in the studies. Because a recent analysis of the Honolulu-Asia Aging study showed that abnormalities of the serum Aβ level begin approximately 15 years before the diagnosis of AD, long-term clinical trials assessing dementia as a primary endpoint with sensitive measurements of cognition and brain imaging techniques will clarify the effectiveness of ARBs in AD treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Medicine and Epigenetics, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University and Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurinami
authors.forename: Munehisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimamura
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morishita
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001565:Benzoates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010766:Phosphorylation; D000077333:Telmisartan
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001565:Benzoates; D000077333:Telmisartan