Danish Study Finds Early Statin Use Cuts Dementia Risk 15% in 132,000 Patients
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 30
Danish Study Finds Early Statin Use Cuts Dementia Risk 15% in 132,000 Patients
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 30
Summary
132,585 Danes with type 2 diabetes tracked from 2006 to 2021 showed a 15% lower 10-year dementia risk with early statin use, versus 10% with later initiation.
The research, presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress and published in Lancet Regional Health Europe, links the benefit to lowering LDL cholesterol, which can damage brain blood vessels and reduce blood flow.
Only 2.7% of participants developed dementia, and the pattern was similar in women and men, adding to evidence that cardiovascular health and brain health are closely connected.
Experts said the findings are important because statins are cheap and widely used, but stressed the study was observational and cannot prove the drugs themselves prevent dementia.
The results feed into a broader push to tackle modifiable dementia risks from midlife, as global dementia cases are projected to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050.