Cholesterol-lowering statins may reduce Alzheimer's risk: study

Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins may help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer, a major U.S. study said Monday.

An analysis of 400,000 Americans who took statins for at least two years found that high use of the drugs was associated with a lower risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Previous research has suggested "a protective association" between statins and Alzheimer's disease, but randomized clinical trials have not drawn sufficient conclusions.

The new study, led by Julie Zissimopoulos of the University of Southern California and published online by the U.S. journal JAMA Neurology, looked at statin users aged 65 or older.

It found high exposure, defined as taking statins for at least six months in a given year during the study period was associated with a 15 percent decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease for women and a 12 percent reduced risk for men.

However, risk reduction varied by type of statin and race and sex.

For example, pravastatin and rosuvastatin, two of most commonly prescribed statins, were associated with a reduced risk for only white women.

Another commonly prescribed statin called simvastatin was associated with a lower risk for white, Hispanic and black women, as well as white and Hispanic men, but not black man.

Actually, there was no reduction in risk for black men taking any type of statin.

"This suggests that certain patients, facing multiple, otherwise equal statin alternatives for hyperlipidemia treatment, may reduce AD (Alzheimer's disease) risk by using a particular statin," the study said.

"The right statin type for the right person at the right time may provide a relatively inexpensive means to lessen the burden of AD," it added. Enditem