The Relationship Between the Use of Antihypertensive Drugs and the Incidence of Dementia in General Practices in Germany.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the association between the use of antihypertensive drugs and the incidence of dementia.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this retrospective study was to investigate the relationship between antihypertensive drug use and dementia in elderly persons followed in general practices in Germany.

METHODS

This study included patients ≥60 years with documented blood pressure values who were diagnosed with dementia in general practices in Germany for the first time between 2013 and 2017 (index date). Dementia cases were matched to non-dementia controls using propensity scores based on age, sex, index year, and co-diagnoses. The main outcome of the study was the incidence of dementia as a function of the use of antihypertensive drugs.

RESULTS

The present study included 12,405 patients with dementia and 12,405 patients without dementia. The use of angiotensin II receptor blockers (odds ratios [ORs] ranging from 0.74 to 0.79), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ORs ranging from 0.85 to 0.88), calcium channel blockers (ORs ranging from 0.82 to 0.89), and beta blockers (OR = 0.88) was associated with a decrease in dementia incidence.

CONCLUSION

Antihypertensive drug use is negatively associated with dementia in elderly persons followed in general practices in Germany.