Long-term safety and cognitive effects of galantamine in the treatment of probable vascular dementia or Alzheimer's disease with cerebrovascular disease

The relationship between cholinergic dysfunction and cognitive and functional impairment in patients with vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) suggests a potential role for cholinomimetic therapy. Initial studies of galantamine demonstrated cognitive, behavioral, and functional benefits in these populations. 326 patients with VaD or AD with CVD who completed an initial 12-month trial were treated with galantamine 24 mg/day in a 24-month, open-label extension. This interim analysis was performed at month 12 of the open-label extension (248 completed the trial). Galantamine (up to 24 months total) was well tolerated in both groups. The most frequently reported adverse events, characteristic of older dementia patients, included depression, agitation, and insomnia. Gastrointestinal adverse events were less common than initially, indicating declining incidence with long-term therapy. Patients taking galantamine for the entire study demonstrated the least cognitive decline on AD Assessment Scale-cog/11: 2.7 points vs. 3.1 points in those given placebo initially (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). The long-term benefits of galantamine were evident in both groups; cognitive baseline levels were maintained for approximaely 21 months in VaD patients and for 12 months in patients with AD with CVD. Long-term (up to 24 months) galantamine therapy in patients with VaD and AD with CVD is well tolerated and associated with prolonged maintenance of cognitive function.