Beta-Blockers and Alzheimer Disease

Patients with hypertension taking beta-blockers with high versus low blood–brain barrier permeability had lower risk for Alzheimer disease.

Hypertension is a known risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD). To determine whether the use of beta-blockers in patients with hypertension is associated with risk for AD, all-cause dementia, and death, researchers analyzed retrospective data from Danish national registries on 69,091 hypertension patients (median age 64 years; 65% female).

Of these patients, 24% were taking beta-blockers with low blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability (atenolol, bisoprolol, and sotalol), 62% were taking beta-blockers with moderate BBB permeability (metoprolol), and 14% were taking beta-blockers with high BBB permeability (carvedilol and propranolol).

At a median follow-up of 9.8 years, results were as follows:

The risk for developing AD was lower with the use …

Reviewing Author

Jennifer Rose V. Molano, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Center for Advancing Translational Science – Cincinnati Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training

Editorial BoardsBrain & Life

Jennifer Rose V. Molano, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Center for Advancing Translational Science – Cincinnati Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training

Editorial BoardsBrain & Life

Beta-Blockers and Alzheimer Disease

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Reviewing Author