Cardiovascular effects of cholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of elderly patients with dementia

Abstract

Cholinesterase inhibitors are drugs used against hallucinations, providing high concentrations of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which will act by stimulating communication between cells and helping in the memory process, but which requires risk assessment for their use, especially cardiovascular risks . The objective was to highlight the cardiovascular effects resulting from the use of cholinesterase inhibitors as a treatment for elderly patients with dementia. This is a bibliographical research, of the integrative literature review type, carried out through research in the databases: Scientific Electronic Library Online, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, through of Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS): “Cholinesterase inhibitors”; “Dementia”; "Elderly"; “Cardiovascular System”, associated with the Boolean AND operator. A total of 6 documents were reached to compose the review. Among these cardiovascular risks, we mention: signs and symptoms of bradycardia, effects of blood pressure decay, postural hypotension and syncope, in addition to the development of other pathologies, such as: Stroke, Systemic Arterial Hypertension and Arrhythmias. That is, there are several complications related to the Cardiovascular System, requiring constant evaluation of the patient and his health condition, adapting the therapy based on his previous history of pathologies, complaints and the evolution of his health status.