Nature: combination therapy reduces the risk of death in dementia by 42%

Combination therapy with the drugs Donepezil and Memantine may extend the lives of people with Alzheimer's disease. This was shown by a study published in the journal Nature Communications Medicine.

Scientists analyzed data from 12,744 patients with Alzheimer's disease. Almost a third of them were taking Donepezil, 10% were taking Memantine, and 9% were taking both drugs at the same time. 45% of the patients were not taking any medication, and their incidence of death was taken as baseline.

At five years, the incidence of death was 36% lower in those taking Donepezil, 32% lower in those taking Memantine, and 42% lower in those taking both drugs. On average, patients lived five to seven years after diagnosis.

The results mean that taking the drugs studied in combination may reduce the likelihood of death in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting more than 50 million people worldwide. It ranks among the top 5 most important causes of death. Most treatments focus on alleviating symptoms.

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