Statins don’t protect against dementia: study

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The use of cholesterol-lowering drugs belonging to the statin family, such as Lipitor or Pravacol, does not seem to have any effect on the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, according to findings from a new study.

This supports the results of another study, but run counter other study findings that have linked statin use with a reduced risk of dementia.

The current study involved elderly residents living in Cache County, Utah, who were evaluated for statin use and dementia between 1995 and 1997 and then again between 1998 and 2000.

Dr. John C. S. Breitner, from the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, and colleagues report their findings in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Of the 4,895 subjects evaluated at the initial assessment, 355 had dementia, including 200 with Alzheimer’s disease. In this analysis, statin use was associated with a 56-percent reduction in risk of dementia.

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Lipitor is used for those who have abnormally High cholesterol levels. When taken together with a low-fat diet, this medicine can effectively reduce LDL cholesterol, commonly referred to as the “bad” cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and total cholesterol, while increasing the HDL, or “good” cholesterol.

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During 3-year follow-up, 185 of 3308 at-risk survivors were diagnosed with dementia, including 104 with Alzheimer’s disease. In this analysis, statin use at the start of the study or at follow-up had no effect on the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

One explanation for the different findings could be that after dementia sets in, patients may simply be less likely to use Statins, along with other drugs.

Studies with sufficient statistical power are needed to assess the effect of statin use on dementia risk, the authors note. “Until such research is able to demonstrate more promising results, however, we suggest that costly randomized trials of Statins are premature.”

SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry, February 2005.

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