Treating blood pressure and cholesterol to prevent dementia after stroke: a pilot trial

Lead investigator: Professor Philip Bath
Institution: University of Nottingham
Grant type: Project
Duration: 3 years
Amount: £399,145
(split 50:50 between Alzheimer's Society and Stroke Association)

Scientific Title: Prevention of Decline in Cognition after Stroke Trial (PODCAST): a factorial randomised controlled trial of blood pressure and lipid lowering.

What do we already know?

A stroke disrupts the oxygen supply to part of the brain. 1 in 6 people will suffer from a stroke during their lifetime. 30% of these will develop symptoms of vascular dementia.

Vascular dementia affects 250,000 people in the UK.

Drugs to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol may reduce the risk of cognitive decline following stroke, but more in-depth research is required.

There are currently no licensed treatments or large-scale ongoing clinical trials devoted to finding a way to reduce the development of dementia following a stroke.

What does this project involve?

This project is the first phase of a clinical trial. It will test the effect of drugs that lower blood pressure and cholesterol on the risk of developing dementia.

The trial will involve 600 stroke patients. They will be treated either with a normal dosage, or with an intensive course of the drugs. Patients will then be monitored for symptoms of dementia.

How will this benefit people with dementia?

If successful this work will proceed to a large-scale government-funded trial involving 2,800 patients.

The drugs are already available and in use, so this potential treatment could also be implemented quickly following the trial results.

It has the potential to help reduce the number of people developing dementia after a stroke. 

More information about clinical trials

Back to Current projects