The effect of antidementia drugs on mortality in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease is associated with a higher mortality rate after the diagnosis. We hypothesized that patients with Alzheimer's disease who received antidementia drugs may have a lower mortality rate than those without such treatment.

METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed Alzheimer's disease aged ⩾65 years during 2001-2006 were identified in the National Health Institute Research Database, Taiwan. We included patients with Alzheimer's disease who received antidementia drugs as the exposure group (ADD group), and compared them with a non-exposure group who did not receive any antidementia drugs (non-ADD group) matched for age at the index date, gender and Charlson Comorbidity Index score before the index date. All-cause mortality rates and Charlson Comorbidity Index scores at one and two years after the index date were compared between the ADD and non-ADD groups.

RESULTS: There were 529 patients in non-ADD group and 529 in the ADD group. The mortality rate was significantly lower in the ADD group compared with the non-ADD group (42% versus 58.6%; p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that antidementia drugs may have a protective effect against mortality in patients with Alzheimer's disease.