A new study from Karolinska Institutet suggests that statins—medications used to lower cholesterol—may slow cognitive decline in some Alzheimer’s patients.
The findings, published in Alzheimer Research and Therapy, indicate that people with Alzheimer’s dementia who were treated with statins experienced slower deterioration in thinking and memory compared to those who were not on the medication.
However, researchers stress that this is an early finding, and more studies are needed to confirm whether statins directly influence dementia progression.
The study analyzed data from over 15,500 dementia patients who also had medical reasons to take cholesterol-lowering drugs. Nearly 11,000 of them were treated with statins.
Researchers found that patients taking statins performed slightly better on cognitive tests over time, even though they were more likely to have other health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes—all of which are known risk factors for dementia.
Despite these promising findings, the study was observational, meaning researchers examined existing medical data rather than conducting a controlled experiment.
This means they cannot say for sure that statins are the reason for the slower cognitive decline. It’s possible that other factors, such as overall medical care or lifestyle differences, contributed to the results.
Balancing Caution and Hope
Sara Garcia-Ptacek, the study’s lead researcher and a neuroscience professor at Karolinska Institutet, emphasized that this study does not prove that statins should be used to treat dementia. However, it also does not support stopping statin treatment for patients who already need it for high cholesterol or heart health.
“There was some early concern that statins might cause confusion in dementia patients, leading to hesitation in prescribing them,” says Garcia-Ptacek. “But our study shows no reason to avoid statins in people with dementia if they already need them for other health conditions.”
The idea that statins might influence Alzheimer’s disease is not new. Scientists have long wondered whether these cholesterol-lowering drugs could also protect the brain by reducing inflammation or improving blood flow. However, previous clinical trials testing statins for dementia prevention or treatment have not shown clear benefits.
Garcia-Ptacek and her team believe this may be because only certain subgroups of Alzheimer’s patients benefit from statins. If that is the case, previous trials may have been too small or not targeted enough to detect these effects.
The researchers now plan to identify which Alzheimer’s patients are most likely to benefit from statin treatment. Their goal is to refine their approach before launching a large clinical trial that could confirm or disprove a direct link between statins and slower dementia progression.
This study provides an important first step in understanding the potential role of statins in Alzheimer’s care. While it’s too early to recommend statins as a dementia treatment, the findings suggest that patients already on statins for cholesterol should not be taken off them due to concerns about cognitive effects.
Future research may help clarify whether these common medications could offer additional benefits in protecting brain health.
The research findings can be found in Alzheimer Research & Therapy.
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