Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Can Statins Help Prevent Dementia?

We all think of statin drugs (like Lovastatin, Crestor, Zocor, Pravachol, etc.) as protecting folks with high cholesterol against heart disease by lowering cholesterol. But what if statins have other good properties? According to an article in the June issue of the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease," and reported in "Medical News Today," a current study demonstrates "that statins can protect nerve cells against damage which we know to occur in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients." For more details, see the following website:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155083.php

So far, the results have been in animal studies, but it is a hopeful finding that may help in the fight against Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com