Taking statins could potentially cut dementia risk in people with type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.
A study that tracked over 132,000 individuals in Denmark for a decade found that those who started taking statins within five years of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were less likely to develop dementia of any cause.
The researchers found that the earlier people took statins, the greater the apparent benefit. Those who began taking statins within a year of their diabetes diagnosis were 15 per cent less likely to develop dementia, compared with those who never took the drugs.
Starting to take statins later – between one and five years after diagnosis – still helped, cutting the risk by 10 per cent.
Statins, one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, are typically used to prevent heart attacks and strokes by bringing down low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.
