STATINS MAY REDUCE THE RISK OF DEMENTIA AND LOSS OF MEMORY

Statins may reduce the risk of dementia and loss of memory
Scientists have found that taking statins, drugs anticholesterol, can protect the body against memory loss and dementia (cognitive disorder). The study followed for five years 1674 Mexican Americans aged 60 and older.

A quarter of these patients took a statin and in total there were 130 people who developed dementia. Other risk factors taken into account (including education, smoking and diabetes), the authors calculated that people taking statins had approximately 50% less risk of developing dementia. Another study of different authors also suggests that drugs to reduce blood pressure may also reduce the risk of dementia.

According to the principal author of the research, Professor Mary Haan of the University of Michigan, the result is very important that the prize for five to seven years of statins led to reduced risk of dementia by half.

Statins help to reduce the risk of heart attack by reducing the rate of cholesterol which can clog blood vessels. It is believed that poor blood supply to the brain may be one factor that promotes the development of dementia. Therefore, if statins help keep the vascular health and good blood circulation in the brain may also help prevent dementia.

However the mode of action of statins is not yet entirely clear about the way biochemical involved in dementia. According to Professor Mary Haan One possibility is that statins may help reduce levels of insulin, which was also involved in the development of dementia.

But according to reviewers advice not to use statins in preventing dementia due to the side effects of drug. Other studies broader confirmation must also be undertaken.

THE CHOLESTEROL–LOWERING DRUGS AND THE MITOCHONDRIA

Complications and side effects:
Among the biochemical changes that characterize the lipodystrophy syndrome include an increase in lipid levels in the blood. This includes an increase in triglyceride levels and LDL-cholesterol (“bad") and a decrease in the cholesterol-HDL (“good"). This combination may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Changes food (more fibre, fruits and vegetables and less animal fat), the adoption of an exercise program and stopping smoking are a good start for those with the long term is to lower their lipid levels. However, it is not always easy to adopt good habits and it may take time to arrive, so some doctors find it useful to prescribe treatments designed to reduce lipid levels. There are two main types of lipid - lowering drugs or fibrates (ciprofibrate, fenofibrate) and statins (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin).

Statins and mitochondria
Some researchers fear that statins can affect the parts of cells responsible for energy production, namely the mitochondria (Mt). In people living with HIV / AIDS, it is possible that the Mt is already strained by antiretrovirals and HIV protein called Viral Protein R (Vpr). To learn more about the effect of statins, the researchers Primagen company (specializing in the development and marketing of molecular tests), in Amsterdam, have experimented with two groups of PLWHA. The first group consisted of seven subjects who were examined before and after treatment with simvastatin at 40 mg / day. The six subjects in the second group received ciprofibrate 100 mg / day. All participants had cholesterol and / or triglycerides above normal and were receiving lipid - lowering treatment for two months.

The researchers found that fibrates had no effect on the DNA of white blood cells Mt. However, the rate of DNA has increased significantly Mt. The researchers attribute this change to the fact that statins inhibit not only the natural production of cholesterol but also the antioxidant co-enzyme Q10 (Co-Q10). This plays an important role in energy production in the Mt and also protects them against damage. To compensate for the lower rate of co-Q10, researchers argue that the Mt tried to produce other proteins, hence increasing the rate of DNA.

In the context of laboratory experiments, researchers have grown cells in the presence of anti-HIV drugs dideoxyinosine (ddI) and dideoxydidehydeothymidine (d4T) and simvastatin and ciprofibrate. They found that the combination of nucleoside analogues and statins has caused more toxicity than either class of drugs alone. Studies of longer duration are needed to evaluate the safety of statins in patients with combination antiretroviral therapy.