A review of the potential therapeutic role of statins in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: current research and opinion

Abstract

Álvaro Sánchez-Ferro,1–4 Julián Benito-León,1–3 Alex J Mitchell,5 Félix Bermejo-Pareja1–31Department of Neurology, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; 2Department of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; 3Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain; 4Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; 5Department of Psycho-oncology, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and University of Leicester, Leicester, UKAbstract: Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders. However, there is no current treatment, which definitively influences disease progression over a sustained period. Numerous studies linking an increase in serum cholesterol, mainly during midlife, with the pathogenic process of Alzheimer’s disease have been published. Therefore, the role of statins as a therapy in this disorder may be of great interest. The aim of the present review is to summarize of the role of statins in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.Keywords: animal models, epidemiology, HMGCoA-inhibitors, clinical trials, prevention, cognitive function