5 minutes of reading- A common daily medication can help protect your brain as you age.
- According to a recent study, people who took statins were up to 15% less likely to develop dementia.
- Here’s why, according to experts.
Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed classes of medications, with over 92 million American adults currently take one. But even though these medications are generally associated with lowering cholesterol levels, it turns out your brain might benefit, too: Using statins might even reduce your risk of developing dementia, according to a recent study published in The Lancet.
Meet the experts: Cheng-Han Chen, MDboard-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California; David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHMboard-certified neurologist and New York Times bestselling author Brain Defenders.
In the study, researchers followed more than 130,000 participants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 2006 and 2019 and estimated their risk of developing dementia after 10 years. They compared three groups: those who did not take a statin, those who were prescribed a statin shortly after their diagnosis, and those who were prescribed a statin later.
Researchers found that people who were prescribed early intervention statins were 15% less likely to develop dementia than the group who took no statins. Ahead, heart and brain health experts explain what this means for you.
Why are the results significant?
Dementia is most often thought of as a brain health problem, but the study findings highlight the vascular component of dementia and suggest that neglecting this could be ignoring potential preventative solutions. “Dementia is an increasingly important public health problem in the United States,” says Cheng-Han Chen, MDboard-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California. “Identifying ways to reduce the risk of dementia, including through medications we already use to protect heart health, could have significant benefits for patients and their families. »
High cholesterol, for which statins are often prescribed, may have more to do with brain health than we think. “(It’s) a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease and may also contribute to vascular dementia, caused by problems with blood flow to the brain,” says Dr. Chen.
This “reinforces the important link between metabolic health, cardiovascular health and brain health,” adds David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHMboard-certified neurologist and New York Times bestselling author Brain Defenders. But he says it’s worth noting the distinction between vascular dementia and other types, like Alzheimer’s disease (which has other causessuch as an abnormal accumulation of proteins in the brain).
“What struck me was that the association was more evident for vascular dementia than for Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Perlmutter. But the prospect that such a commonly used drug could play a role in preventing any type of dementia is encouraging. “I think the broader message is that we need to pay attention to the metabolic and vascular conditions that contribute to dementia risk, rather than focusing exclusively on what happens in the brain after the disease develops,” he says.
How closely linked are heart health and brain health?
The study results speak to a broader connection between how we keep our hearts and brains healthy. “The bond is extraordinarily strong,” says Dr. Perlmutter. “The brain depends on a healthy cardiovascular system to provide oxygen and nutrients, but the relationship goes much deeper than just blood flow.”
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That’s because many of the same problems that damage the heart and blood vessels, like insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, and metabolic dysfunction, can also harm your brain, he says. “These processes can influence the activity of microgliaresident immune cells in the brain, potentially contributing to chronic inflammation associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
The good news is that many of the lifestyle habits that help us protect our hearts can also protect our brains. “I recommend eating a balanced diet high in whole foods and low in saturated fats, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, and prioritizing quality sleep,” says Dr. Chen. “These habits promote cardiovascular health and may also help reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we age.” »
What does this mean to you?
Does all this mean you should take a statin? Not necessarily. “I wouldn’t want anyone reading this study to conclude that they should start taking a statin just to protect their brain,” says Dr. Perlmutter. “This would go well beyond what the research shows.”
But if you have a condition for which a statin might be appropriate, such as type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol, it may be worth discussing it with your doctor. The most important thing is to find a way to control your health that works for you, according to Dr. Chen. “Diabetes and high cholesterol can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems that can affect brain health,” he explains. “Managing blood sugar and cholesterol levels is an important part of protecting your long-term health and can also help reduce your risk of dementia. »
Beyond looking at certain medications, “what (you) can do something about today is the critical importance of metabolic health,” says Dr. Perlmutter. “Keeping blood sugar under control, improving insulin sensitivity, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and following a diet that supports metabolic health are all important strategies. »
And while it may be worrying to learn that you might be at risk for dementia, it’s important to remember that these findings offer reason for optimism. “The most encouraging message is that protecting our brains starts long before we experience memory problems,” says Dr. Perlmutter. “Every day we have the opportunity to influence the biological processes that determine how our brain ages. »
The essentials
While the study results provide a window into potential new ways to prevent dementia, there are other things to consider. First, as an observational study, the results may show an association between statin use and the onset of dementia, but not a cause-and-effect relationship.
“People who take statins may also differ from those who do not, influencing their risk of dementia, including their overall health, medical care, and lifestyle choices,” Dr. Perlmutter points out. “Even sophisticated statistical adjustments cannot completely eliminate these differences. »
And it’s worth noting that all of the participants in this particular study had type 2 diabetes, which means the results won’t necessarily apply to people who take a statin for other reasons.
“Although this new study on statins raises interesting questions, we should not lose sight of the bigger picture,” says Dr. Perlmutter. “Our best opportunity to protect the brain is to first address the metabolic and vascular factors that put it at risk. »
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