Terms
CSF = Cerebrospinal fluid; a small volume of fluid that keeps the brain suspended
BBB = Blood brain barrier; layer of tissue surrounding capillaries in brain that prevent most molecules to diffuse into the CSF
AD = Alzheimer's Disease
Statin = class of medicinal drugs used to lower cholesterols by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase
Diffusion = molecules moving from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration
ApoE4 = gene that codes for apolipoprotein E found in chromosome 19; has been known to be involved with cardiovascular disease and alzheimer's disease
lipids = molecules that build fats such as cholesterol, wax and oil
In response to a previous study, researchers utilized a three different experiments to determine statins' effects on patients with Alzheimer's Diseases (AD).
The first experiment utilized three separate groups: a placebo, various treatments without statins, and statins. The second experiment then found patients who weren't using previous methods for treatment. The third experiment used subjects diagnosed from Religious Order Study or Memory and Aging Project studies.
While no difference in cognitive scores was found between different groups, subgroups who were homozygous for familial AD. The gene-- ApoE4-- has known to be correlated with not only high cholesterol, but amyloid beta buildup in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as well.
The greatest effect was found with lipophilic statins-- atorvastatin and lovastatin. No mechanism of action has been proposed at this time.
Source: https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-017-0237-y
BBB = Blood brain barrier; layer of tissue surrounding capillaries in brain that prevent most molecules to diffuse into the CSF
AD = Alzheimer's Disease
Statin = class of medicinal drugs used to lower cholesterols by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase
Diffusion = molecules moving from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration
ApoE4 = gene that codes for apolipoprotein E found in chromosome 19; has been known to be involved with cardiovascular disease and alzheimer's disease
lipids = molecules that build fats such as cholesterol, wax and oil
Report
A recent study from Stanford found that Alzheimer's patients may benefit from the use of statins-- especially those who inherited it genetically.In response to a previous study, researchers utilized a three different experiments to determine statins' effects on patients with Alzheimer's Diseases (AD).
The first experiment utilized three separate groups: a placebo, various treatments without statins, and statins. The second experiment then found patients who weren't using previous methods for treatment. The third experiment used subjects diagnosed from Religious Order Study or Memory and Aging Project studies.
While no difference in cognitive scores was found between different groups, subgroups who were homozygous for familial AD. The gene-- ApoE4-- has known to be correlated with not only high cholesterol, but amyloid beta buildup in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as well.
The greatest effect was found with lipophilic statins-- atorvastatin and lovastatin. No mechanism of action has been proposed at this time.
Source: https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-017-0237-y
