To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Statins May Prevent Dementia in Older Adults URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/2269AE.htm Doctor's Guide July 29, 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich -- July 29, 2008 -- People at high risk for dementia who took statins were half as likely to develop dementia as those who do not take statins, according to a new study that will appear in the July 29 issue of Neurology. "If a person takes statins over a course of about 5 to 7 years, it reduces the risk of dementia by half, and that's a really big change," said Mary Haan, PhD, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Haan and colleagues set out to measure whether taking statins over time lowered the development of dementia in that same high-risk population. The study did not look at statins as a treatment for existing dementia, only as a preventative. The study consisted of 1,674 older Mexican Americans in Sacramento, California, who suffered from metabolic conditions that put them at risk for developing dementia, Alzheimer's, or cognitive impairment without dementia but were free of dementia at the start of the study. Of the participants, 452 (27%) took statins at some point in the study. Over the 5-year follow-up period, 130 participants developed dementia or cognitive impairment. Researchers adjusted for factors such as education, smoking status, gene predictors, and history of stroke or diabetes. Statins lowered the risk of dementia in all participants, but the statins had more of an impact on the group at high risk due to metabolic syndrome. It's not clear exactly how statins work to decrease the development of dementia, but one theory is that statins may work on insulin pathways in a way that lowers the high insulin levels in the brain that can lead to the classic Alzheimer's pathology, Dr. Haan said "We aren't suggesting that people should take statins for purposes other than what they are indicated for, but hopefully this study and others will open the door to statin testing for dementia and other types of cognitive impairment," Dr. Haan said. It's likely that many people taking statins have already benefited unknowingly from the dementia-fighting properties, Dr. Haan said. She hopes the study will help fuel randomised trials to test statins and their ability to prevent dementia. SOURCE: University of Michigan --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.