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Medications on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate the association between the use of common medications on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, and Web of Science were searched systematically until December 2021 for studies quantitatively investigating the effect of medications on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes on the risk of ALS. We conducted a fixed-effects model or random-effects meta-analysis to calculate the summary ORs (odds ratios) and 95%CIs (confidence intervals).

Results

Regular intake of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) (OR: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.74, 0.89), beta-blockers (OR: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.76, 0.90), calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) (OR: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.79, 0.93), or diuretics (OR: 0.87, 95%CI: 0.81, 0.93) was inversely associated with the incidence of ALS. There was no significant association between statin use and risk of ALS (OR: 0.92, 95%CI: 0.83, 1.03). Metformin (OR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.75, 0.93) and sulfonylureas (OR: 0.79, 95%CI:0.71, 0.89) use could significantly reduce the risk of ALS.

Conclusion

Regular use of anti-hypertensive drugs and anti-diabetes including ACEIs, beta-blockers, CCBs, diuretics, metformin, and sulfonylureas could protect against the incidence of ALS. No significant association between anti-hyperlipidemia drug use and risk of ALS was revealed. Regular medications for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes should be recommended regardless of the diagnosis of ALS.

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Data availability

All data analyzed during this study are included in published articles.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the authors of the original articles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, 100730, China

    Nan Hu

  2. Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China

    Hongyan Ji

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Correspondence to Nan Hu.

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Hu, N., Ji, H. Medications on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurol Sci 43, 5189–5199 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-022-06131-7

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