The ADDF organized this panel of experts to discuss whether choices in the clinical care of existing conditions such as hypertension or diabetes could influence the risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). 

Among Alzheimer’s researchers, there is extensive study on whether medications approved for other diseases could have properties that help to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease. Most of that research focuses on repurposing (i.e., whether these drugs could also be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease). Another, less-studied question is whether the choice of one treatment versus another for common chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease) could alter the risk for dementia. To influence physicians' choice of which medication to prescribe for chronic conditions, substantial evidence for the potential risk of future cognitive impairment will be needed. In this advisory panel, researchers focused on the best path forward to gather comparative effectiveness research to protect patients from dementia.