New Kampo Improves Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment and Renal Function Decline in Chronic Kidney Disease

Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are often complicated by CKD. This study aims to identify a therapeutic agent that can improve cognitive function and alleviate chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients. It also explores the effectiveness of the combination of Ryoukeijutsukanto and Ourengedokuto (RO-8), a Kampo medicine, for treating cognitive decline and renal function impairment in patients with co-- morbid CKD. Methods: In this retrospective single-center study, patients with AD who visited the clinic were selected. Cognitive function and kidney function of all participants in the control and treatment groups were assessed using Hasegawa’s Dementia Scale (HDS-R) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), respectively. Statistical analyses were performed to measure the differences in the HDS-R scores and eGFR values before and after the observation or treatment period. Results: The Kampo medicine RO-8 improved cognitive function in 90.9% (70/77) of patients and cognitive decline in 3.9% (3/77) of patients with AD and MCI. At the same time, 38.7% (29/75) of the patients with AD and MCI who were treated had chronic kidney disease (CKD), 65.5% (19/29) of which exhibited an improvement in the eGFR. Discussion: Despite being a single-center and retrospective study, the findings underscore the potential of mixed Kampo medicine in restoring both cognitive and kidney function in patients with AD or MCI and CKD. Conclusion: RO-8 may exert beneficial effects on cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia and MCI through an anti-inflammatory pathway and can be further explored as an alternative anti-inflammatory drug to treat AD.