Open AccessDonepezil may reduce the risk of comorbidities in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A large‐scale matched case‐control analysis in Japan
Author(s) -
Kobayashi Hiroyuki,
Arai Heii
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia: translational research and clinical interventions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.49
H-Index - 30
ISSN - 2352-8737
DOI - 10.1016/j.trci.2018.03.002
Subject(s) - donepezil , comorbidity , medicine , alzheimer's disease , logistic regression , medical prescription , disease , dementia , nested case control study , case control study , psychiatry , pharmacology
Few studies have focused on the association between donepezil and physical comorbid conditions in Alzheimer's disease patients. Methods We investigated the association between donepezil prescription and the occurrences of comorbidities in Alzheimer's disease patients, by using an electronic medical records database which contains case‐based information on approximately three million patients from more than 60 hospitals across Japan. Results Nine thousand seven hundred forty‐nine patients had at least one diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease between 2001 and 2015. To test the robustness of the results, we used a risk set sampling method, and the matched cohorts based on age, sex, comorbidity level, and duration of illness consisted of 1406 cases and an equal number of controls. From the multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariance, less occurrence of physical comorbidities was associated with donepezil prescription in the matched cohort. Discussion Although the mechanisms are unknown, donepezil may have positive effects on both cognition and physical status.