Can AD medications be used safely in people with heart or blood pressure problems?
Cholinesterase inhibitors can slow the heart rate, although the degree of slowing is not usually important. Rarely, enough slowing can occur to cause a person to feel dizzy or even black out (a syncopal episode). This may be more likely to happen if someone already has heart disease. In general, these medications do not cause major changes in blood pressure. Memantine has no known effects on the heart. Before prescribing an Alzheimer’s disease cholinesterase inhibitor, your doctor will want to know about your medical history including any problems with your heart.
