Statin Drugs Fail to Protect Your Mind
If you heard that the statin drugs you take to lower your cholesterol might be protecting you from dementia, listen up. There have been reports that statins may ward off Alzheimer’s. But new research suggests it just ain’t so.
Researchers studied 929 Catholic clergy members, average age 75, who were dementia-free at the onset of the study. All the participants agreed to allow a brain autopsy after they died and to undergo annual cognitive tests for up to 12 years.
Sixteen of the 119 participants who were using statin drugs at the start of the study developed Alzheimer’s. (Overall, 191 of the 929 developed the disease.) No association was found between taking statins and a slower mental decline among older people.
In addition, the brain autopsies showed that the statin drugs did not have any impact on strokes in the brain or Alzheimer’s disease pathology– two common causes of dementia.
There are safer, more natural ways to control cholesterol levels than statin drugs, which can have some serious side-effects. Eating a bowl of oatmeal is one of them, and exercise is considered helpful for improving your overall cholesterol profile. Exercise is also recommended as a good brain protector. And many antioxidants and other natural ingredients with a safer track record than statin drugs have proven helpful in keeping your brain healthy as you age.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Statin drugs aren’t doing a thing to protect you from Alzheimer’s. To save your brain and to avoid side effects that can harm you in other ways, look for natural solutions that have been clinically proven such as curcumin, folic acid, green tea, fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, vinpocetine, and CoQ10.
QUICK TIP: Studies show that staying fit is an effective means of preventing cognitive decline. Learn More
Written exclusively for Stop Aging Now, the authority on anti-aging research, anti-aging nutrition, and anti-aging supplements.
