Source: DGNews  |  Posted 8 years ago

By Bonnie Darves

HONOLULU, HA -- March 7, 2003 -- Patients who have vascular dementia but who have not had a stroke or been diagnosed with cerebrovascular disease may see benefits in cognitive and global function after treatment with donepezil (Aricept).

An estimated 20% of patients with dementia have vascular dementia, and that number is expected to grow as the population ages.

Researchers led by Stephen P. Salloway, from Brown Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, presented findings of their study here March 4th at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.

The study, an analysis of two randomised, 24-week, double-blind trials, included 1,219 patients -- mean age 74.5 years, 73% diagnosed with probable vascular dementia, based on criteria from NINDS-AIREN (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke