Cholinesterase inhibitors, the most widely prescribed drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, do not slow progression of the mind-robbing condition and do not affect the rate at which patients must be admitted to nursing homes, a British study finds.The drugs, which include donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Reminyl) and rivastigmine (Exelon), do provide some benefits, but not nearly enough to justify their widespread use, said Richard Gray, professor of medical statistics at the University of Birmingham and lead author of a report on the study in the June 26 issue of The Lancet.
