Research suggests statins may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Statins might sluggish the development of Alzheimer’s illness, at the very least for some sufferers. That is the results of a brand new research led by Karolinska Institutet printed in Alzheimer Analysis and Remedy. However the researchers are cautious of their interpretations and see the outcomes as a primary step in a analysis journey which will ultimately present the reply.

A brand new research exhibits that individuals with Alzheimer’s dementia deteriorated extra slowly of their cognitive features in the event that they have been additionally handled with a lipid-lowering statin, in comparison with those that weren’t handled. Nonetheless, the research is an observational study the place the researchers have in contrast information on the sufferers from a registry and subsequently can not reply whether or not there actually is a causal relationship. Thus, the researchers are cautious of their interpretations.

“Individuals with Alzheimer’s dementia handled with statins had higher cognitive development over time. Nonetheless, the outcomes of the research don’t imply that we now have proof that individuals with dementia needs to be handled with statins. However alternatively, we will not see any assist for not doing so. So, if an individual wants statins for prime blood lipids, a dementia prognosis mustn’t cease the therapy,” says Sara Garcia-Ptacek, docent of neuroscience and assistant professor on the Division of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, and analysis chief of the present research.

The rationale she emphasizes security is that statins have been initially suspected of inflicting confusion in sufferers with dementia. There has subsequently been some resistance to prescribing statins to those sufferers.

The research included information from greater than 15,500 sufferers with dementia who additionally had a sign for lipid-lowering therapy. Virtually 11,000 of them have been handled with statins. Typically, the sufferers who have been handled with statins had barely increased values within the cognitive exams carried out, although they have been extra more likely to have diagnoses comparable to high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes, all of that are risk factors for dementia.

Garcia-Ptacek explains that the analysis staff began with a speculation that statins might sluggish the development of dementia and solid a reasonably extensive internet to see if they may discover proof of this.

“The fundamental concept of this research was to pave the way in which for a extra exact cohort research that would ultimately result in a medical intervention research, which is what is required to show a causal hyperlink between statins and cognition,” says Garcia-Ptacek.

The concept that statins might have an effect on the chance or development of dementia will not be new. There have even been some clinical studies achieved, however they’ve all been unfavorable.

“We imagine that solely sure sufferers with Alzheimer’s dementia might profit from statins and that earlier medical trials have been too small to indicate any vital variations. Our concept is to attempt to crystallize which affected person teams profit probably the most and why, earlier than embarking on medical trials,” says Garcia-Ptacek.