Medication shown to delay placement in nursing home for dementia patients

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Cholinesterase inhibitors, which treat the symptoms of dementia, can delay admission to a nursing home.
Cholinesterase inhibitors, such as Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl, may be used in dementia to treat symptoms such as memory loss. Researchers at the University of South Florida have been looking at the impact that the use of cholinesterase inhibitors has upon the need for nursing home admission. For many patients with dementia do lose their independence because of the very nature of the disease. Anything that can delay the need for admission to a nursing home is likely to have a benefit in terms of quality of life.

The researchers followed the progress of a group of patients according to whether or not they were using cholinesterase inhibitors. None of the participants was in a nursing home at the start of the study. Taking a cholinesterase inhibitor delayed the need for nursing home admission by three months or even more. So, although the drugs are expensive, they may be a worthwhile investment because nursing homes are expensive too. In Florida alone, nursing home costs came to 2.5 billion dollars in 2003. The more widespread use of cholinesterase inhibitors might go some way toward easing such costs.

Source
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders September 2006

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