ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of idebenone, a new neuroactive drug, in 33 patients aged from 50 to 80 years. They were affected by chronic cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) and their last cerebrovascular accident had taken place at least 3 months prior to enrollment. All these subjects presented a score within the range of the following psychometric scales: Hamilton Scale for Depression <24; Hachinski Dementia Score >/=18 and < 25; Mini Mental State >/=16 and =22; Hachinski Ischemic Score =7. Even without a cortical degenerative disease, their cerebral computerized tomography (CT) scan had to be positive for CCVD. The study was divided into three different periods: (1) 7 days from the enrollment and wash-out; (2) 3 months of treatment (idebenone 45 mg b.i.d. per os); (3) 1 week for the follow up. During the study, the following evaluation scales were administered: Sandoz Clinical Assessment of Geriatrics (SCAG), Gottfries-Brane-Steen (GBS), Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL), Greene Relatives' Stress Scale (GRSS), Toulouse Piéron, Randt Memory Test. The results show that idebenone is effective both in improving the sense of psycho-physical wellbeing and in improving cognitive, attentive and behavioural efficiency. The tolerability of the treatment was very good.
ABSTRACT
Even though with increasing age it becomes progressively more difficult to distinguish between physiologic and pathologic changes and also considering the marked rise in the number of asymptomatic forms, the senile heart appears to be characterized by functional peculiarities rather than by specific organic alterations. Reduced contractility and myocardial compliance lead to the diminished effort adaptation characteristic for old age; to this must be added the degenerative changes of systemic vessels adding up to increased aortic impedance. Aging of the heart is not a clinical entity and therefore on no account requires therapeutic intervention provided investigation of each individual case has ascertained the absence of asymptomatic pathology. The sole possibility apt to delay the onset of overt pathology is physical exercise according to an individually tailored program.