David B. Hogan, MD, FRCPC, Professor and Brenda Strafford Foundation Chair in Geriatric Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.

Cholinesterase inhibitors are a treatment option for most people with Alzheimer’s disease of mild to moderate severity. This article offers an approach to their use, based on the recommendations of the Third Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia. Treatment decisions must be individualized. Monitoring includes evaluating both safety and effectiveness, which entails more than just assessing cognition. Treatment is clinically beneficial when there is evidence of improvement, stabilization, or a slowing of the rate of decline seen prior to the start of treatment without unacceptable side effects.
Key words: dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cholinesterase inhibitors, safety, effectiveness.