Study suggests statins may reduce risk of dementia in diabetics

By Stephen Beech

Statins reduce the risk of dementia in people with diabetes, suggests a new study.

Researchers found that taking the cholesterol-busting pills slashed the chances of developing the debilitating condition by up to 15% in Type 2 diabetes patients.

Scientists in Denmark assessed whether starting to take statins soon after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes was associated with a lower risk of dementia.

Previous research has suggested that nearly half of all dementia cases could be theoretically prevented by eliminating 14 risk factors

Dr. Tummas Ternhamar, of Copenhagen University Hospital, said: "Detecting and treating high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol from midlife is one such highlighted risk factor."

He noted that it could be particularly important in patients with Type 2 diabetes since elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) — often called "bad" cholesterol — occurs frequently in diabetes patients, and diabetes is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia.

Dr. Ternhamar said: "We hypothesized that early initiation of LDL-C-lowering statins following Type 2 diabetes diagnosis could be associated with a lower risk of dementia.

"And we tested this in a large nationwide study using analysis methods to emulate a randomized trial and reduce some of the bias associated with observational studies."

From Danish registers, 132,585 patients were identified who developed Type 2 diabetes from 2006 through to 2019, with follow-up until the end of 2021.

Medical records were searched for diagnoses of all-cause dementia.

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During an average follow-up period of 7.1 years, 2.7% of patients developed dementia.

The findings showed that, over 10 years, early statin initiation was associated with a 15% lower relative risk of dementia compared with no statin treatment, while late initiation was associated with a 10% lower risk.

Dr. Ternhamar, who presented the findings at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Munich, Germany, and published the findings in the journal The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, said the results were similar in women and men.

He added: "In individuals developing Type 2 diabetes, statins were associated with a lower risk of dementia, most pronounced in those with early initiation.

"Statins seem to be underused in patients with Type 2 diabetes, despite their protective effects against cardiovascular disease.

"Our findings suggest another potentially important reason to ensure that patients with Type 2 diabetes and high LDL-C receive timely statin treatment."

Dr. Isabel Goncalves, of the ESC Communication Committee, welcomed the findings.

She said: "People with Type 2 diabetes already have a higher risk of dementia and are advised to lower cholesterol to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke.

"This study suggests that starting statins soon after a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis may also be linked to a modest reduction in dementia risk, with greater benefit than delaying treatment."

Dr. Goncalves added: "Because statins are widely available and inexpensive, the findings are potentially important.

"However, this was an observational study, so it cannot prove that statins prevent dementia.

"The results should therefore support further research and help inform discussions between patients and clinicians."