Dementia

Drugs for PTSD linked to increased risk of dementia

Certain psychotropic drugs used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increase the risk of developing dementia, including in patients who do not have PTSD but take the drugs for other conditions, study results published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society show.…

Delaying anticoagulation treatment for atrial fibrillation increases dementia risk, study suggests

Results reinforce the importance of starting anticoagulation treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis, researchers conclude.…

Communication training cuts antipsychotic use in nursing homes

Training nursing home staff to understand the personhood of patients with dementia reduces off-label prescribing of antipsychotics, New England study results show.…

Benzodiazepine use in Alzheimer’s disease linked to pneumonia risk

Study adds to evidence for link between benzodiazepines and adverse respiratory effects in people with Alzheimer’s, and suggests that risk of use should be carefully weighed against the benefits.…

Vitamin E and selenium do not prevent dementia in older men

Older men taking the antioxidants for over a decade had the same rate of dementia as those taking placebo, researchers find.…

Postmenopausal hormone therapy does not protect women against Alzheimer’s disease, study suggests

There is no evidence that postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, a large, 20-year follow-up study has found.…

Welsh Pharmacy Board meeting: 2 February 2017

At the most recent RPS Welsh Pharmacy Board meeting, members discussed the future of local engagement in Wales and RPS Wales’ ongoing work with Welsh government and celebrated two more board member receiving their Faculty pins.…

Why there is evidence to be hopeful about neuroscience and drug development

We continue to see media reports describing how pharmaceutical companies are cutting or altogether halting investment in neuroscience, thereby eliminating the possibility of innovative treatments for devastating brain disorders such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease. These reports are both…

Study confirms increased hip fracture risk for older patients taking antidepressants

Antidepressants increase the risk of hip fracture in older people living in the community, including those with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to research published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.…

Statins could cut risk of Alzheimer’s disease, research shows

Using data from nearly 400,000 patients, researchers found that simvastatin in particular was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.…