Cholesterol lowering drugs may protect against dementia

Jul 29 2008

A new study has found more evidence that the drugs commonly used to lower cholesterol may also offer protection from dementia and memory loss.

Scientists from the University of Michigan say that statins which are normally used to reduce the risk of heart disease, may cut the risk of dementia by half.

The study which was a five-year project, examined 1,674 Mexican Americans aged 60 and over who were fairly typical older people, with diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, all were free of dementia and a quarter were on statins.

It was found that in total 130 went on to develop dementia and after other risk factors, such education, smoking and diabetes were accounted for, it was found that those who took statins had around a 50% lower risk of developing dementia.

Other recent research has also suggested that drugs which are used reduce blood pressure can cut the risk of dementia and with the rates of dementia predicted to soar, this is all good news.

Millions of people worldwide are now prescribed statins which help to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering levels of cholesterol which clog up the blood vessels.

A poor supply of blood to the brain is suspected to be one factor which promotes the development of dementia so if statins help keep the blood vessels healthy, and blood flowing freely to the brain, they may help protect against the disease.

Lead researcher Professor Mary Haan says if a person takes statins over a course of about five to seven years, it reduces the risk of dementia by half, which is a really big change.

While it remains unclear exactly how statins work on the biochemical pathways involved in dementia, Professor Haan suggests that statins may help to reduce levels of the hormone insulin, which have also been implicated in the development of dementia.

Professor Haan says they are not suggesting that people should take statins unless they are necessary for other reasons and experts in dementia agree.

They say people should only take statins when medically advised to do as, as they do have side-effects and more research into their role in preventing dementia is needed.

Statins included in the study were atorvastatin, cerivastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvavstatin and simvastatin.

The most common side effects of statins are headaches, nausea, fever and muscle pain.

The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and is published in the current issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.