Hippocampal volume change in the Alzheimer Disease Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment trial.
Numerous clinical studies suggest a link between elevated cholesterol and increased risk of Alzheimer disease (AD), and the preponderance of data suggests that statin therapy may reduce the risk of AD later in life. The first clinical investigation of statin therapy in patients with AD, the AD Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment (ADCLT) trial, found that atorvastatin 80 mg/day was associated with improvements relative to placebo on some, but not all, cognitive measures after 6 months and 1 year of therapy. We report here findings from a pilot ADCLT substudy showing a nonsignificant reduction in total hippocampal volume with 1 year of atorvastatin therapy compared with placebo, driven by a highly significant reduction in right hippocampal volume with atorvastatin therapy.
Roberts Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, USA. Larry.Sparks@sunhealth.org
D Larry
DL
Sparks
Susan K
SK
Lemieux
Marc W
MW
Haut
Leslie C
LC
Baxter
Sterling C
SC
Johnson
Lisa M
LM
Sparks
Hemalatha
H
Sampath
Jean E
JE
Lopez
Marwan H
MH
Sabbagh
Donald J
DJ
Connor
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011603:Psychophysiology; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin