When Scientists at the Ninth International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ICAD), presented by the Alzheimer's Association have revealed conflicting studies on the use of statins as a preventive strategy for Alzheimer's.

Ling Li of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, reported that simvastatin helps mice with memory problems. Mice genetically engineered to mimic key aspects of Alzheimer's disease have trouble remembering their way through mazes as they age. But Alzheimer mice treated with simvastatin regain their ability to navigate mazes The drug also improves performance of non- engineered mice in the control group.

Richard B. Parsons of London's St. Georges Hospital, found that four different statins reduce, to varying extent, brain cells' production of a protein fragment thought to play a key role in Alzheimer's, with fluvastatin being the most effective.

Kina Hoeglund, of Sweden's Gvteborg University, reported that statins have mixed effects on marker molecules in blood and spinal fluid that may track the severity of Alzheimer's disease.

P. Murali Doraiswamy, Director of Psychiatry Clinical Trials at Duke, systematically analyzed all existing randomized controlled trials of statins in people without dementia (comprising over 30,000 participants) and found no evidence yet that any statin protects against cognitive decline.

A second, small study of elderly people at risk for dementia, revealed that that rates of brain tissue shrinkage, measured using a special MRI scan, were no different between statin users and nonusers.

John C. S. Breitner, of VA Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington, reported new data that argue against the use of statins for Alzheimer prevention.

He described new results from three, long-running population studies that assess the possible impact of statins on preventing Alzheimer's. "If you look at a 'snapshot' of statin users compared with non- users at a single moment in time, statin users seem to have a lower risk of Alzheimer's," he said.

"But if you look at people taking statins at enrollment in these studies and follow them over several years, the benefit of statins in warding off dementia largely disappears," he added. (ANI)