Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital in Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders found that the longer patients receive combination therapy with memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors, the less the level their rate of decline would become.
Cholinesterase inhibitors like the drugs Aricept, Exelon and Razadyne, and the drug Namenda may even provide brain cells with protection from further damage, researchers added.
While cholinesterase inhibitors target a chemical messenger significant for memory and mental alertness, Namenda works by regulating glutamate, another neurotransmitter linked to memory and learning, WebMD reports.
To arrive at the conclusion, researchers followed 382 Alzheimer's patients for an average of 2 1/2 years and assessed them for their mental and functional abilities every six months.
While 144 patients received no drug treatment, 122 were put on a cholinesterase inhibitor alone, and 116 took a cholinesterase inhibitor in combination with Namenda. After controlling other environmental factors, study found that the longer patients stayed on the combination treatment, the smaller their rate of decline would be.
More than 5 million people in the United States are believed to have Alzheimer's disease. The figure is expected to more increase three folds within the next four decades.
