Association between Use of Statin and Risk of Dementia: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Abstract

Background and Aims: The impact of statin on dementia risk reduction has been a subject of debate over the last decade, but the evidence remains inconclusive. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of relevant observational studies to quantify the magnitude of the association between statin therapy and the risk of dementia. Methods: We systematically searched for relevant studies published from January 2000 to March 2018 using EMBASE, Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Two authors performed study selection, data abstraction, and risk of bias assessment. We then extracted data from the selected studies and performed meta-analysis of observational studies using a random-effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. Results: A total of 30 observational studies, including 9,162,509 participants (84,101 dementia patients), met the eligibility criteria. Patients with statin had a lower all-caused dementia risk than those without statin (risk ratio [RR] 0.83, 95% CI 0.79-0.87, I 2 = 57.73%). The over-all pooled reduction of Alzheimer disease in patients with statin use was RR 0.69 (95% CI 0.60-0.80, p < 0.0001), and the overall pooled RR of statin use and vascular dementia risk was RR 0.93 (95% CI 0.74-1.16, p = 0.54). Conclusion: This study suggests that the use of statin is significantly associated with a decreased risk of dementia. Future studies measuring such outcomes would provide useful information to patients, clinicians, and policymakers. Until further evidence is established, clinicians need to make sure that statin use should remain restricted to the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Promoting Successful Cognitive Aging: A Ten-Year Update

“…Conversely, many other observational studies have found no association between PPI use and risk of dementia [437][438][439] or decreased rate of cognitive decline [452]. Metaanalyses of pooled data seem to support these results [271,272,453,454]. However, intervention trials completed to date have not supported a link between statin use and cognitive status [233,455].…”

Statin exposure and the risk of dementia in individuals with hypercholesterolaemia

“…They may reduce the incidence of dementia by regulating cholesterol metabolism in the brain [6,8]. Many previous meta-analyses [6,[9][10][11][12][13][14] suggested that the use of statins was associated with a decreased risk of dementia. A recent meta-analysis conducted by Zhang et al based on 31 studies concluded that statins reduced the risk of dementia by about 15% [6].…”

Dissecting Sex-Related Cognition between Alzheimer’s Disease and Diabetes: From Molecular Mechanisms to Potential Therapeutic Strategies

“…This is supported by estimates, which indicate that almost two-thirds of patients diagnosed with AD are women. A recent meta-analysis among Asians, Europeans, and Americans has shown that women are at greater risk of developing AD-associated dementia than men [35]. There is a vague explanation for this difference, but it is assumed that the greater percentage of women among AD patients is due to their longer lifespan than the opposite sex [33].…”