High doses of statins prevent dementia in older people,
according to research presented at the ESC Congress today by Dr Tin-Tse Lin
from Taiwan. The study of nearly 58,000 patients found that high potency
statins had the strongest protective effects against dementia.
Dr Lin said: “Statins are widely used in the older
population to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. But recent reports of
statin-associated cognitive impairment have led the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) to list statin-induced cognitive changes, especially for
the older population, in its safety communications.”
He added: “Previous studies had considered statin therapy to
exert a beneficial effect on dementia. But few large-scale studies have focused
on the impact of statins on new-onset, non-vascular dementia in the geriatric
population.”