August 27, 2007
Statin treatment may curb Alzheimer’s brain changes
First direct evidence that widely used heart drugs may protect the brain
Seattle—People who take statin drugs may be less likely to develop
the brain changes that signal Alzheimer’s disease, according to a
study and accompanying
patient page published in the August 28, 2007, issue of
Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of
Neurology."
Previous research had suggested that people who received statins might be
less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. “But our study is the first to
compare the brains of people who had received statins with those who had
not,” said Gail (Ge) Li, MD, PhD. The paper's lead author, Dr. Li is an
assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University
of Washington School of Medicine, in Seattle.
She and her colleagues examined the brains of 110 Group Health members,
aged 65 to 79, who had participated in Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) and
who donated their brains for research. A joint project of Group Health and
the University of Washington, ACT is a prospective cohort study started in
1994. It includes a random sample of Group Health members aged 65 and older
who had no thinking difficulties when enrolled.
The two changes in the brain that are considered the most definitive
hallmarks of Alzheimer’s are brain “plaques” and “tangles.” After
controlling for variables including age at death, gender, and strokes in the
brain, the researchers found significantly fewer tangles in the brains of
people who had taken statins than in those who had not.
“These results are exciting, novel, and have important implications for
prevention strategies,” said co-author Eric Larson, MD, MPH, the leader of
the ACT study and executive director of Group Health Center for Health
Studies. “But they need to be confirmed, because ACT is not a randomized
controlled trial.”
A randomized controlled trial of statin treatment and brain autopsy
findings would be problematic for ethical and practical reasons, said Dr.
Larson. But the ACT setting made the study more rigorous than previous
observational epidemiological studies, because it uses reliable automated
pharmacy records, is based in a community population, and includes autopsies
in people both with and without dementia.
Statins (HMG coenzyme A reductase inhibitors), include atorvastatin
(Lipitor®), lovastatin (Mevacor®),
rosuvastatin (Crestor®), and simvastatin (Zocor®).
They are widely prescribed to lower cholesterol of people who have heart
disease or are at risk for it. Randomized controlled trials are testing some
statins, especially those that cross the barrier between the blood and the
brain, for their ability to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease.
“People with Alzheimer’s are diverse,” said Dr. Li. “Statins are
probably more likely to help prevent the disease in certain kinds of people
than others.” Larson adds, “Someday we may be able to know more precisely
which individuals will benefit from which types of statins for preventing
the changes of Alzheimer’s disease.”
The National Institute on Aging funded the study.
About Group Health Center for Health Studies
Founded in 1947, Group Health is a Seattle-based, consumer-governed,
nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. Group
Health Center for Health Studies conducts research related to prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of major health problems. It is funded primarily
through government and private research grants.
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