Why the study?
Cardio-selective medications, including ACE inhibitors (centrally and non-centrally active) and ARBs, may influence cognitive function in heart failure patients.
Does ACE inhibitor use improve cognitive function in community-dwelling adults with heart failure?
Does ACE inhibitor use improve cognitive function in community-dwelling adults with heart failure?
In community-dwelling adults with heart failure, ACE inhibitor use, particularly centrally active agents, is associated with better cognitive function.
May support centrally active ACEIs in HF for cognitive preservation; extends prior data but leaves open causality pending RCTs.
Cardio-selective medications, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors—both centrally and non-centrally active—and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), may influence cognitive function in heart failure (HF) patients. This secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study involved 90 community-dwelling adults with HF, assessed for cognitive impairment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The mean MoCA score was 24.73 (SD = 2.76). T-tests indicated a significant association between ACE inhibitor use (78% of participants) and MoCA scores (p = 0.01), particularly for centrally active ACE inhibitors (60%), while no association was observed with ARB use. Bivariate analysis showed higher ACE inhibitor dosages correlated with better cognitive function (r = 0.211, p = 0.046). In a multiple regression model adjusting for age, education, HF medication knowledge, and mean arterial blood pressure, ACE inhibitor use accounted for an additional 4.1% of the variance in cognitive scores and remained significant (p = 0.021). Age and blood pressure were not significant predictors. Findings suggest ACE inhibitors may exert protective cognitive effects in HF patients, warranting further investigation.
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Olivia Claire Bennett (2026) studied this question.