Statins for the prevention of dementia
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Background This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2001 and then updated in 2009. Vascular risk factors including high cholesterol levels increase the risk of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and of vascular dementia. Some observational studies have suggested an association between statin use and lowered incidence of dementia. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of statins for the prevention of dementia in people at risk of dementia due to their age and to determine whether the efficacy and safety of statins for this purpose depends on cholesterol level, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype or cognitive level. Search methods We searched ALOIS (the Specialized Register of the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group), The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, LILACS, ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization (WHO) Portal on 11 November 2015. Selection criteria We included double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trials in which statins were administered for at least 12 months to people at risk of dementia. Data collection and analysis We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Main results We included two trials with 26,340 participants aged 40 to 82 years of whom 11,610 were aged 70 or older. All participants had a history of, or risk factors for, vascular disease. The studies used different statins (simvastatin and pravastatin). Mean follow-up was 3.2 years in one study and five years in…
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In late life, statins have no effect on dementia risk or cognitive outcome.
“A Cochrane review of RCTs of statins given in late life found only one study and no effect on dementia risk and two studies of cognitive outcome with no effect.(163)”
From Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission (2024) · cites this paper as [163]
A Cochrane review found good evidence that statins do not prevent cognitive decline or dementia in older people at risk of vascular disease.
“A Cochrane review reported good evidence that statins given to older people at risk of vascular disease do not prevent cognitive decline or dementia.”
From Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission (2020) · cites this paper as [86]
Elevated LDL-C increases the risk of both vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease.
“Elevated LDL-C increases the risk of both vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease, although treatment with statins has not been shown to consistently reduce the risk of dementia [16].”
From PCSK9 loss of function is protective against extra-coronary atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in a large multi-ethnic cohort (2020) · cites this paper as [16]
Treatment with statins has not been shown to consistently reduce the risk of dementia.
“Elevated LDL-C increases the risk of both vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease, although treatment with statins has not been shown to consistently reduce the risk of dementia [16].”
From PCSK9 loss of function is protective against extra-coronary atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in a large multi-ethnic cohort (2020) · cites this paper as [16]
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References 148 · Cited by 490
- Authors
- McGuinness, B., Craig, D., Bullock, R., & Passmore, P.
- Affiliations
- Queen's University Belfast (GB)
- Craigavon Area Hospital (GB)
- Victoria Hospital (GB)
- Venue
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2016-01-04
- Volume
- 2016
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- CD003160-CD003160
- ISSN
- 1361-6137 (ISSN-L)
- 1465-1858
- PMC
- PMC9346344
- OpenAlex
- W1530780272
- Cited by
- 490
- References
- 148
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 43 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 42 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 7.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (13/89/22)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
- Keywords
- statins, dementia prevention, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, simvastatin, pravastatin, cholesterol, APOE genotype, cognitive function, adverse events, statin safety, vascular risk factors, older adults, hypercholesterolemia, lipid-lowering therapy, cognitive decline, dementia incidence, treatment discontinuation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Anticholesteremic Agents, Cognition, Dementia, Humans, Middle Aged, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Pravastatin, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Simvastatin
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