Pensioners taking statins can ‘reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s’ by 15 per cent, study claims

TAKING statins cuts OAP dementia risk by up to 15 per cent, a major study suggests.

It found men over-65 who regularly took the cholesterol-busting pills saw their risk fall by 12 per cent.

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And for women, the average drop was 15 per cent.

Around 850,000 Brits have dementia – and there is currently no effective treatment.

But current medications can help to slow down the symptoms.

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University of Southern California scientists looked at 400,000 pensioners who took statins.

And found those on the pills were at lower risk of Alzheimer’s.

It also revealed patients responded better depending on what type of statin they were taking.

Experts claim cholesterol-reducing drugs may work by limiting the build-up of damaging proteins.

These toxic clumps are blamed for eventually killing brain cells and triggering memory loss.

Lead researcher Dr Julie Zissimopoulos said: “The right statin type for the right person at the right time may provide a relatively inexpensive means to less the burden of Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study is published in the journal JAMA Neurology.

Around seven million adults in the UK take statins to reduce their heart risk.

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They reduce high levels of blood cholesterol, which is known to contribute to the stiffening and narrowing of arteries.

But they also trigger side-effects, including muscle pain, memory loss, depression, sexual difficulties and depression.

Dr Doug Brown, Director of Research and Development at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Previous research has attempted to find out whether using statins to lower cholesterol can alter a person’s risk of developing dementia but these studies have produced mixed findings.

“This new study is attempting to clear up this confusion by analysing large amounts of existing data of people who use different types of statins over a long period of time.

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“Their refreshing approach highlights that ‘one size fits all’ is not always a suitable approach to healthcare and this is likely to be the case when it comes to ways people can reduce their risk of dementia.”

And Professor John Hardy, Professor of Neuroscience at University College London, said the findings suggest statins can protect against some OAPs dementia.

He said: “The possible role of statins in Alzheimer prevention has been debated for nearly 20 years.”