Study: Some Cholesterol Drugs May Help Prevent Alzheimer's

Statin drugs used to lower cholesterol may help prevent Alzheimer's disease in people younger than 80, according to researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Their study backs up previous research showing that the commonly prescribed statin drugs, and even other cholesterol-lowering drugs, offer protection against the disease, according to the report in the Archives of Neurology.

Researchers evaluated data on 2,305 people, along with their health information, drug use, and cognitive status. A total of 492 cases of dementia were found, of which 326 were Alzheimer's disease.

Investigators found that the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs was significantly more common in younger (65 to 79 years) than in older (over 80 years) people.

Use of statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs reduced the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people younger than 80 years old, but no significant effect was found in people over 80, according to the researchers.

"While the possibility of indication bias in the original observations cannot be excluded, it was not demonstrated in LLA (lipid-lowering agents) use in this study," concluded the researchers. "Lipid-lowering agent use was associated with a lower risk of dementia, and specifically of Alzheimer's disease, in those younger than 80 years. Further research is warranted."

Other sources: Archives of Neurology