Long-term effectiveness of rivastigmine patch or capsule for mild-to-severe Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis

Aim: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of rivastigmine patch or capsule on mild to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). Method: We performed a meta-analysis of 17 studies regarding the treatment effectiveness of rivastigmine patch or capsule on mild-to-severe AD. Results: Significant difference exists between treatment with rivastigmine patch or capsule and placebo groups (p-value < 0.001). In the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) score evaluation, a negative weighted mean difference (WMD) was observed in overall and mild-moderate groups after rivastigmine treatment. And in ADAS-ADL score evaluation, a positive WMD was observed in overall groups after rivastigmine treatment. Moreover, WMD value is lower in patch administration subgroup compared to that of capsule administration subgroup. Conclusion: Rivastigmine treatment shows a positive result of improving the condition of patients with mild-to-severe AD. Patch administration shows a stronger effect on decreasing ADAS-Cog score compared to capsule administration.