Neurology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of simvastatin to treat Alzheimer disease.
Lowering cholesterol is associated with reduced CNS amyloid deposition and increased dietary cholesterol increases amyloid accumulation in animal studies. Epidemiologic data suggest that use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) may decrease the risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) and a single-site trial suggested possible benefit in cognition with statin treatment in AD, supporting the hypothesis that statin therapy is useful in the treatment of AD. ⋯ This study provides Class I evidence that simvastatin 40 mg/day does not slow decline on the ADAS-Cog.