New Immunizations

Two recent studies are giving credence to the possibility that a common class of cholesterol lowering drugs, called statins, may help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. One of the studies was out of the University of South Florida and was published in the journal Atherosclerosis. That study was done on animals. The other study (called the Mirage study) was done sponsored by the National Institutes on Aging and was a retrospective study on humans. The results were presented recently at the Academy of Neurology annual meeting. Both of these studies indicate that statins may protect against. Alheimer’s disease. There had been two other retrospective studies that also gave similar results. The Mirage study reported a 79% lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in people taking statins.

Because these studies are not randomized prospective studies ( a prospective study is where you recruit individuals first, and then randomize them into receiving the treatment or not), these results are not conclusive. Nevertheless, they are very promising. There are current prospective studies that will help provide a definitive answer. Investigators think that the medications may work to prevent Alzheimer’s disease in a manner other than lowering of cholesterol.

There are other medications and vitamins that are also promising. These include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Motrin and Naprosyn, and low dose aspirin. These medications should not be used to prevent Alzheimer’s disease without consulting with your physician, as the relationship has not been clearly established. In addition, folic acid and vitamin E have also has studies pointing to a relationship. Again, these are not definitive studies. The relationship with Vitamin E was reported in the June 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Interestingly, the study was only positive for people that ate foods that were rich in vitamin E and not for those who only took Vitamin E supplements.

My take is that, in the near future, we will be able to better predict which people are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease through genetic testing, and which of these or other medications they should take, depending on their genetic profile (see harvard medical letter).  In the meantime, anyone that is concerned about the development of Alzheimer’s disease should have a discussion with his or her physician. There may be thinks that can be done now to lower the risk

One good resource for Alzheimers is the Mayo Clinic Web Site Alzheimer’s: The importance of Early Diagnosis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research))

Another is the National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral center (http://www.alzheimers.org/)

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