STATINS CAN ‘MORE THAN DOUBLE DEMENTIA RISK’
STATINS can more than double the risk of dementia for some users, a study found.
Scans of patients taking the cholesterol-reducing drugs showed a “highly significant” decline in metabolism in the area of the brain that is first affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found patients with mild cognitive impairment or normal cognition who took lipophilic statins had twice as much risk of dementia as people who did not take the pills.
Study chief Dr Prasanna Padmanabham said: “Findings could be used to inform patients’ decisions regarding which statin would be most optimal to use with respect to preservation of their cognition and ability function independently.”
Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, with around eight million adults taking them daily.
tom.parry@mirror.co.uk to