Animal experiments indicate lovastatin may protect against Alzheimer’s.

HealthDay (6/30, West) reported that, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, “treatment with a cholesterol-lowering” medication “might protect against Alzheimer’s disease.” For the study, researchers from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, “conducted animal experiments in which they administered lovastatin (Altoprev, Mevacor) to overstimulated nerve cells.” The team found that “lovastatin did indeed prevent cell death and, just as important, blocked the loss of memory that accompanies excitotoxicity.” Previous research has demonstrated that “statins seem to stimulate the protective capacity of tumor necrosis factor, a key player in the brain’s immune response.” Furthermore, “some researchers have speculated that high cholesterol might be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, suggesting that lowering cholesterol could be beneficial.”