Study on Cognition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE)

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Study on Cognition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE) BLOOD PRESSURE 1999; 8: 177±183 Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE) L. HANSSON1, H. LITHELL1, I. SKOOG2, F. BARO3,C.M.BA´NKI4, M. BRETELER5, P. U. CARBONIN6, A. CASTAIGNE7, M. CORREIA8, J.-P. DEGAUTE9, D. ELMFELDT10, K. ENGEDAL11, C. FARSANG12, J. FERRO8, V. HACHINSKI13, A. HOFMAN5, O. F. W. JAMES14, E. KRISIN10, M. LEEMAN9, P. W. DE LEEUW15, D. LEYS16, A. LOBO17, G. NORDBY11, B. OLOFSSON10, G. OPOLSKI18, M. PRINCE19, F. M. REISCHIES20, J. B. ROSENFELD21, L. RUILOPE22, J. SALERNO23, R. TILVIS24, P. TRENKWALDER25 AND A. ZANCHETTI26 From 1Uppsala, 2Go¨teborg, Sweden, 3Bierbeek, Belgium, 4Nagyka´llo´, Hungary, 5Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 6Roma, Italy, 7Cre´teil, France, 8Lisboa, Portugal, 9Bruxelles, Belgium, 10Mo¨lndal, Sweden, 11Oslo, Norway, 12Budapest, Hungary, 13London, Ontario, Canada, 14Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 15Maastricht, The Netherlands, 16Lille, France, 17Zaragoza, Spain, 18Warsaw, Poland, 19London, UK, 20Berlin, Germany, 21Tel-Aviv, Israel, 22Madrid, Spain, 23Washington DC, USA, 24Helsinki, Finland, 25Starnberg, Germany, 26Milan, Italy Hansson L, Lithell H, Skoog I, Baro F, Ba´nki CM, Breteler M, Carbonin PU, Castaigne A, Correia M, Degaute J-P, Elmfeldt D, Engedal K, Farsang C, Ferro J, Hachinski V, Hofman A, James OFW, Krisin E, Leeman M, De Leeuw PW, Leys D, Lobo A, Nordby G, Olofsson B, Opolski G, Prince M, Reischies FM, Rosenfeld JB, Ruilope L, Salerno J, Tilvis R, Trenkwalder P, Zanchetti A. Study on cognition and prognosis in the elderly (SCOPE). Blood Pressure 1999; 8: 177–183. The Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE) is a multicentre, prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study designed to compare the effects of candesartan cilexetil and placebo in elderly patients with mild hypertension. The primary objective of the study is to assess the effect of candesartan cilexetil on major cardiovascular events. The secondary objectives of the study are to assess the effect of candesartan cilexetil on cognitive function and on total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, renal function, hospitalization, quality of life and health economics. Male and female patients aged between 70 and 89 years, with a sitting systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 160– 179 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90–99 mmHg, and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 24 or above, are eligible for the study. The overall target study population is 4000 patients, at least 1000 of whom are also to be assessed for quality of life and health economics data. After an open run-in period lasting 1–3 months, during which patients are assessed for eligibility and those who are already on antihypertensive therapy at enrolment are switched to hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg o.d., patients are randomized to receive either candesartan cilexetil 8 mg once daily (o.d.) or matching placebo o.d. At subsequent study visits, if SBP remains >160 mmHg, or has decreased by <10 mmHg since the randomization visit, or DBP is >85 mmHg, study treatment is doubled to candesartan cilexetil 16 mg o.d. or two placebo tablets o.d. Recruitment was completed in January 1999. At that time 4964 patients had been randomized. All randomized patients will be followed for an additional 2 years. If the event rate is lower than anticipated, the follow-up will be prolonged. Key words: mild hypertension, elderly, candesartan cilexetil, cardiovascular events, cognitive function. INTRODUCTION Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for both coronary heart disease and stroke, which have been shown The proportion of the elderly people in the general to increase by around five-fold and ten-fold, respectively, population, and particularly of very elderly people, is with increasing diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from increasing in most industrialized countries [1]. This trend 76 mmHg to 105 mmHg [3]. Cerebrovascular disease, as is expected to continue well beyond the year 2000, manifested by stroke and ischaemic white matter changes, leading to a greater prevalence of cardiovascular and results in varying degrees of brain dysfunction, including cerebrovascular disease, which increase considerably dementia, and represents a chronic health problem with with age. Recent data from a worldwide study show that important personal, social and economic implications. A cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease are already history of atherosclerosis alone, excluding the effects of the leading causes of death and disability in the age and education, has also been shown to be associated industrialized world [2]. with decreased cognitive performance [4]. 1999 Scandinavian University Press on licence from Blood Pressure. ISSN 0803-7051 BLOOD PRESSURE 1999 178 L. Hansson et al. Prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular Rationale for proposed study complications At the time of planning SCOPE, an analysis of nine The beneficial effects of treating hypertension have been prospective observational studies suggested that there was documented in a number of studies. In a meta-analysis of no apparent threshold DBP below which the risk of stroke several, prospective randomized intervention trials invol- was not continuously reduced [25]. The results of the ving nearly 48 000 patients, a DBP reduction of 5– recently completed Hypertension Optimal Treatment 6 mmHg was found to decrease the risk of stroke by 38% (HOT) Study indicated that the lowest risk of stroke and heart disease by 16% [5]. Four major studies have (fatal and non-fatal) was achieved at a DBP of also shown that stroke morbidity and mortality in the <85 mmHg [26]. However, HOT was not a study in the elderly can be significantly reduced with antihypertensive elderly, since in this cohort the mean age was 62 years therapy: the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program and, furthermore, patients had a mean DBP of 105 mmHg (SHEP) [6] in the USA, the Swedish Trial in Old Patients (Æ3.4) at randomization. with Hypertension (STOP-Hypertension) [7], the British An as yet unanswered question, is whether antihyper- Medical Research Council (MRC) study in older adults tensive treatment provides protection against stroke in [8] and the Systolic Hypertension in Europe (Syst-Eur) patients with an initial DBP of 90–99 mmHg. In addition, study [9]. In all of these studies, the entry systolic blood although the term “preventable senility” has been used pressure (SBP) was relatively high. However, the value of [27], there is no definitive evidence to show that lowering antihypertensive treatment in elderly patients with DBP in of elevated blood pressure can reduce the incidence of the range 90–99 mmHg remains an open issue, since DBP dementia. However, a subgroup analysis from the Syst- at entry in both the STOP and MRC trials was above these Eur Study [28] showed that treatment of isolated systolic values, and the SHEP and Syst-Eur studies specifically hypertension with the long-acting calcium antagonist recruited patients with isolated systolic hypertension. nitrendipine reduced the incidence of dementia and AD by 50%. These results further emphasize that treatment of hypertension may be a potential way to prevent develop- ment of dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly. A clinical study to assess the effects of antihypertensive The impact of hypertension on cognitive function and drug treatment on major cardiovascular events and dementia cognitive function in elderly patients with mild hyperten- Hypertension is generally recognized to be a major risk sion is therefore warranted. factor for the development of ischaemic white matter There may be a considerable benefit of antihyperten- lesions [10, 11], as well as stroke [12]. Old age, and sive therapy in this group of patients, since there is a especially very old age, is associated with an increased continuum between dementia and cognitive impairment risk of dementia [13]. More than 60 diseases are in the elderly population [29]. Hence, even if treatment of associated with the syndrome of dementia, the most vascular risk factors results in only a small improvement common being Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular in the whole distribution of cognitive ability, it may lead dementia (VAD) [14]. In a recent study, VAD was found to a substantial reduction in the prevalence of overt to be more common than previously assumed [15]. dementia [4, 29]. Furthermore, since hypertension and Although all the risk factors for VAD have yet to be other cardiovascular disorders are common in the elderly, identified, it is obvious that arterial hypertension plays an they may make a much greater contribution to the number important role [10]. In a longitudinal study of nearly 1000 of cases of dementia than more infrequent disorders elderly Swedish men, there was an inverse relationship associated with a higher risk [4, 29]. between DBP at 50 years of age and cognitive function at 70 years of age [16], as determined by psychometric testing and use of the Mini-Mental State Examination Rationale for using candesartan cilexetil (MMSE) [17, 18]. In a further Swedish study, a significant Angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blockers represent a link was found between the presence of high SBP and new class of antihypertensive agents. Unlike ACE- DBP at age 70 years and the development of dementia inhibitors, AT1-receptor blockers do not inhibit the break- 10–15 years later [19]. down of bradykinin or other kinins, and this novel class of The risk of developing dementia increases at least nine- drugs is not associated with a dry cough [30]. The excellent fold after a stroke [20, 21]. Furthermore, ischaemic white tolerability and relative lack of contraindications of these matter lesions have also been linked to AD and to VAD agents make them highly suitable for the treatment of [10]. Other cardiovascular disorders, such as myocardial hypertension in the elderly. Moreover, AT1-receptor infarction [22, 23] and generalized atherosclerosis [24], blockers may help to maintain or even improve cognitive may also increase the risk of developing dementia.
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