Study Suggests Statins Linked To Lower Dementia Risk

MIAMI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2016 ) : Some cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, appear to be linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease in certain people, suggested a study out Monday.

However, not all patients benefited, and the report stopped short of establishing any cause and effect, so experts said rigorous clinical trials are needed to further explore the issue. The research in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Neurology was based on an analysis of the medical records of nearly 400,000 people in the United States.

Researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles examined use of the four most commonly prescribed statins: simvastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin and rosuvastatin.

Black men saw no lower risk in Alzheimer's disease associated with any statin.

But other racial and ethnic groups did, particularly if they were taking simvastatin, which was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's for white, Hispanic and black women, and white and Hispanic men.

Across the board, women saw a 15 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's if they took statins, and men saw a 12 percent reduced risk. "This suggests that certain patients, facing multiple, otherwise equal statin alternatives for hyperlipidemia treatment, may reduce Alzheimer's disease risk by using a particular statin," said the study.