Is creatine (creatine monohydrate) effective for treating dementia?

From the Guidelines

Creatine supplementation is not recommended as a primary treatment for dementia due to lack of strong evidence supporting its effectiveness in improving cognitive function or delaying disease progression. The current evidence for treating dementia primarily supports the use of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, as shown in a review of 96 publications representing 59 unique studies 1. This review found that both cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine had consistent effects in the domains of cognition and global assessment, but with small effect sizes. While creatine may have some potential benefits in maintaining brain energy metabolism, the evidence is preliminary and not sufficient to recommend it as a primary treatment for dementia.

Some key points to consider when evaluating treatments for dementia include:

• The effectiveness of treatments in improving cognition and global assessment
• The potential for treatments to delay disease progression
• The safety and tolerability of treatments, including potential side effects and interactions with other medications
• The strength of evidence supporting the use of a particular treatment, including the quality and duration of studies

In the case of creatine supplementation, while it may be considered as a complementary approach, it should not replace standard medical care for dementia, including FDA-approved medications, cognitive stimulation, and lifestyle modifications. Patients with dementia should consult with their healthcare provider to determine the best course of treatment, taking into account their individual needs and medical history. Additionally, those with kidney disease should exercise caution when considering creatine supplementation and consult their doctor before taking it.

From the Research

Creatine for Dementia

• There is no direct evidence to suggest that creatine is used to treat dementia, as the provided studies focus on cholinesterase inhibitors and their effects on dementia, rather than creatine supplementation 2, 3, 4, 5.
• However, one study mentions that creatine supplementation may provide additional benefits including enhanced postexercise recovery, injury prevention, rehabilitation, as well as a number of potential neurologic benefits that may be relevant to sports 6.
• The studies on cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine, show that they have a slight beneficial effect on cognition in people with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and Alzheimer's disease, although the size of the change is unlikely to be clinically important 2, 3, 4, 5.
• It is worth noting that the provided studies do not investigate the use of creatine for dementia, and therefore, there is no conclusive evidence to support its use for this purpose 2, 3, 4, 6, 5.

Key Findings

• Cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine, have a slight beneficial effect on cognition in people with VCI and Alzheimer's disease 2, 3, 4, 5.
• Creatine supplementation may have neurologic benefits, but its use for dementia is not investigated in the provided studies 6.
• Further research is needed to determine the potential benefits and risks of using creatine for dementia, as the current evidence is limited 2, 3, 4, 6, 5.

Study Limitations

• The provided studies focus on cholinesterase inhibitors and their effects on dementia, rather than creatine supplementation 2, 3, 4, 5.
• The study on creatine supplementation does not investigate its use for dementia, but rather its effects on exercise capacity and neurologic benefits 6.
• The evidence for the use of creatine in dementia is limited, and further research is needed to determine its potential benefits and risks 2, 3, 4, 6, 5.