Study: Alzheimer Drug Aricept May Increase Cholesterol

The Alzheimer's drug Aricept® (donepezil hydrochloride) may increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels, according to a study reported in the January/February issue of the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

Donepezil hydrochloride is a central acetylcholine esterase inhibitor that is widely used in Alzheimer disease, according to the study.

Researchers from the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Sheba Medical Center in Israel studied 105 Alzheimer's patients, comparing the blood fat levels of the 33 patients who received Aricept and the 72 patients that did not use the drug.

Aricept users were found to have statistically significant higher levels of triglycerides and higher total cholesterol and LDL or bad cholesterol levels than non-users.

"The higher plasma levels of cholesterol and triglycerides may reflect an adverse effect of donepezil hydrochloride," concluded the researchers. "Alternatively, this may indicate that the effect of the medication may involve lipid metabolism, rather than other proposed mechanisms."

Other sources: Archives of Gerontology & Geriatrics 2004 Jan-Feb;38(1):61-8