Cholesterol Drugs May Lower Alzheimer's Risk
Cholesterol Drugs May Lower Alzheimer's Risk
Jan. 10, 2005 -- A class of drugs widely used to lower cholesterol may also help keep brains healthy and lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Although previous studies have already shown that people who take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, researchers say the findings of a new study may help explain why.
In Alzheimer's disease, deposits accumulate in the brain, which makes it harder for the brain to function properly. These deposits are made of protein fragments that are taken from the amyloid precursor protein or APP.
These protein fragments can be cleaved or broken off APP in two different ways. One type of cleavage yields sticky fragments that stick together to form deposits in the brain. But in the second type of cleavage, which involves a different enzyme to break down APP, the process creates a soluble substance that doesn't form deposits.
In this study, which appears in the January issue of PLoS Medicine, researchers found the statin drugs Lipitor and Zocor increased the second, healthy type of cleavage that reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Therefore, long-term use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs may help reduce risk of memory-robbing deposits and Alzheimer's disease.
If the effects of statins are confirmed in an ongoing National Institute on Aging study, these drugs may be among the first disease-modifying compounds approved by the FDA for slowing the progression of Alzheimer disease, according to the researchers.
Although previous studies have already shown that people who take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, researchers say the findings of a new study may help explain why.
In Alzheimer's disease, deposits accumulate in the brain, which makes it harder for the brain to function properly. These deposits are made of protein fragments that are taken from the amyloid precursor protein or APP.
These protein fragments can be cleaved or broken off APP in two different ways. One type of cleavage yields sticky fragments that stick together to form deposits in the brain. But in the second type of cleavage, which involves a different enzyme to break down APP, the process creates a soluble substance that doesn't form deposits.
In this study, which appears in the January issue of PLoS Medicine, researchers found the statin drugs Lipitor and Zocor increased the second, healthy type of cleavage that reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Therefore, long-term use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs may help reduce risk of memory-robbing deposits and Alzheimer's disease.
If the effects of statins are confirmed in an ongoing National Institute on Aging study, these drugs may be among the first disease-modifying compounds approved by the FDA for slowing the progression of Alzheimer disease, according to the researchers.
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