BMJ  2005;331 (6 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7512.0-b

Cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's lack evidence

Good evidence is lacking to support treating Alzheimer's disease with cholinesterase inhibitors. A systematic review by Kaduszkiewicz and colleagues (p 321) included 22 double blind randomised controlled trials with the follow-up ranging from six weeks to three years, but the trials scored poorly on a predefined checklist of criteria of methodological quality. Further, the outcomes measuring cognition did show beneficial effects of cholinesterase inhibitors, but these effects were minimal (ranging from 1.5 points to 3.9 points on a 70 point Alzheimer's disease assessment scale).

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