"Sharon Hope" <shope@anet.net> wrote in part:

...

I think the data speak against your interpretation above. The
studies performed simply do not find that dementia rates rise when
statins are given.
...

Does it increase the odds for "ANYONE?" Is the alleged
polyneuropathy increase with statins accomplished by a mechanism
that would multiply the already rather high odds of diabetics? Any
evidence?
--
Jim Chinnis   Warrenton, Virginia, USA

Like a cure for cancer, EVERYONE is hopeful of a treatment or prevention
(actually both) for Alzheimer's, a horrific condition that is devastating
for not only the patient but all who know the patient.

Statins cause a dementia condition that is so close to Alzheimer's it is
typically misdiagnosed as such.  The difference is that, years after the
statin drug is halted, the memory slowly improves.  Very slowly.

Statin dementia is, exactly as I described Azlheimer's, a horrific condition
that is devastating for not only the patient but all who know the patient.

The SIGNIFICANT difference between statin dementia and Alzheimer's is that
STATIN DEMENTIA IS PREVENTABLE - there is no need for a patient to develop
statin dementia.  If doctors warned about it, not just the patient, but the
family, and if the family and the doctors watched for it, and if there were
baseline NP testing prior to prescribing statins and regular NP testing
thereafter, just as there is for CK, there would be no need AT ALL for a
statin patient to develop STATIN COGNITIVE DAMAGE, CONFUSION, MEMORY LOSS,
TRANSIENT GLOBAL AMNESIA, APHASIA, or the other disabling cognitive impacts.

That this PREVENTABLE DEMENTIA continues to affect people, and doctors in
denial continue to consider it in the diagnosis is UNCONSCIONABLE.

Further, giving a person at high risk of Alzheimer's dementia a known
neurotoxic substance that has demonstrated over and over again that it
causes STATIN DEMENTIA in a percentage of patients, is UNCONSCIONABLE.

For a brief moment in time there was a willing suspension of disbelief that
statins, although they cause DEMENTIA, might somehow work in reverse for
Alzheimer's prevention (sort of like giving stimulants to hyperactive/ADD
children and they work in the opposite effect).  That time has passed.

By all means, we need a treatment toward a cure for Alzheimer's and a
prevention for Alzheimer's.

By all means we also need a treatment toward a cure for Statin dementia and
memory loss and cognitive damage and amnesia and aphasia, and a screening
ability to prevent others from suffering this PREVENTABLE DEMENTIA.

The time has passed for giving a neurotoxic drug to Alzheimer's patients and
those at risk.

Similarly, someone needs to call for a halt of giving a known neurotoxic
statin drug to diabetics, who by the condition of diabetes alone are already
at risk of developing peripheral neuropathy.  Why is it that they are now
prescribing a drug that, after 2 years of treatment, makes ANYONE TWENTY SIX
TIMES MORE LIKELY to experience polyneuropathy?  Note the POLY, not just
peripheral neuropathy, POLYNEUROPATHY.

What twisted medical ethics are currently in force?

The article makes it clear that there are conflicting studies: some
show
no protection against dementia, others do. Obviously, much more
research
is needed.

Who wouldn't hope that there *might* be some benefit from statins
against
this most debilitating disease, alzheimers? <<

COMMENT:

While we're visiting this subject, let us note that Alzheimer's is
responsible for maybe half of dementia only. A large fraction of the
other half is caused by mini-strokes and vascular disease. And of
course, there's a 20 to 30% overlap of people who have both problems.

Of these, Alzheirmer's is the process I would LEAST expect statins to
interfere with. They might, but they might not.  However, statins have
already show impressive anti-stroke capability, even in people with
normal cholesterol levels. So if statins do not work in slowing or
preventing progression of Alzheimer's, this in no way means we've ruled
out their role in preventing "dementia."

SBH

Another misleading subject line.....

The article makes it clear that there are conflicting studies: some show
no protection against dementia, others do. Obviously, much more research
is needed.

Who wouldn't hope that there *might* be some benefit from statins against
this most debilitating disease, alzheimers?

L.

Many of us who have been exposed first-hand to the devastating cognitive
adverse effects of statins have been tremendously skeptical of the "Can
statins prevent Alz?????" headlines, which appeared at a time that
conveniently offset articles in the popular media that exposed the memory
loss caused by statins.

We doubters also questioned how the studies would differentiate between Alz
and statin-induced memory loss.

As it turns out, this latest study shows that statins do NOT prevent
Alzheimer's:

     Statins Don't Protect Against Dementia: Study
     http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-02
-10T211401Z_01_B371082_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-STATINS-DEMENTIA-DC.XML
     Reuters.uk, UK - 5 hours ago
     NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The use of cholesterol-lowering drugs
belonging to the statin family, such as Lipitor or Pravacol, does not seem
to have any effect ...

     Statins Don't Protect Against Dementia: Study
     http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=7598600
     Reuters - 5 hours ago
     NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The use of cholesterol-lowering drugs
belonging to the statin family, such as Lipitor or Pravacol, does not seem
to have any effect ...

     Statins Don't Protect Against Dementia: Study
     http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=488976
     ABC News - 5 hours ago
     Feb 10, 2005 - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The use of
cholesterol-lowering drugs belonging to the statin family, such as Lipitor
or Pravacol, does not seem ...

Statins Don't Protect Against Dementia: Study
Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:15 PM GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The use of cholesterol-lowering drugs belonging
to the statin family, such as Lipitor or Pravacol, does not seem to have any
effect on the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, according to findings
from a new study.

This supports the results of another study, but run counter other study
findings that have linked statin use with a reduced risk of dementia.

The current study involved elderly residents living in Cache County, Utah,
who were evaluated for statin use and dementia between 1995 and 1997 and
then again between 1998 and 2000.

Dr. John C. S. Breitner, from the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in
Seattle, and colleagues report their findings in the Archives of General
Psychiatry.

Of the 4,895 subjects evaluated at the initial assessment, 355 had dementia,
including 200 with Alzheimer's disease. In this analysis, statin use was
associated with a 56-percent reduction in risk of dementia.

During 3-year follow-up, 185 of 3308 at-risk survivors were diagnosed with
dementia, including 104 with Alzheimer's disease. In this analysis, statin
use at the start of the study or at follow-up had no effect on the risk of
dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

One explanation for the different findings could be that after dementia sets
in, patients may simply be less likely to use statins, along with other
drugs.

Studies with sufficient statistical power are needed to assess the effect of
statin use on dementia risk, the authors note. "Until such research is able
to demonstrate more promising results, however, we suggest that costly
randomized trials of statins are premature."

SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry, February 2005.