Statins--a cure-all for the brain?
'Statins' are 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors - oral cholesterol-lowering drugs that are used to treat hypercholesterolaemia. It is widely accepted that statins have anti-inflammatory effects that are independent of their ability to lower cholesterol. Animal studies and observational clinical studies have indicated that statins might also be effective in treating certain neurological diseases - in particular, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and ischaemic stroke. At present, however, results from ongoing prospective, randomized clinical trials are not available.
Menge
Til
T
Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0114, San Francisco, California 94143-0114, USA.
Hartung
Hans-Peter
HP
Stüve
Olaf
O
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors