Statins may reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease

Patients taking the statin class of cholesterol lowering drugs may derive the extra benefit of a reduction in risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study (Archives of Neurology 2000;57:1439-43).

As high levels of cholesterol have been associated with Alzheimer's disease, and a cholesterol transport isoprotein, apolipoprotein E4, is known to increase the risk of the disease, the study authors set out to determine if statins could reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's disease.

Led by Dr Benjamin Wolozin of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, and Paul Rousseau of the Carl T Hayden Veteran …