Simvastatin appears to be effective in the treatment of Alheimer’s, Parkinson’s diseases
August 11, 2007 by neuralpathways
Two recently published medical studies may prove to be of significance regarding the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).
In the first report, an international consortium of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) researchers headed by Bruno DuBois of the Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris, FR) issued a position paper1 calling for a revision in the criteria used in the diagnosis of AD. Noting that recent improvements in diagnostic imaging, particularly Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and in the biochemical analysis of spinal fluid could be used in combination with the more traditional (but subjective) NINCDS-ADRDA and American Psychiatric Association criteria2 to detect AD much earlier in its clinical course.
In an accompanying commentary Dr. DuBois noted that there is no currently-accepted diagnostic criterion that identifies AD before the patient becomes overtly symptomatic. He then commented that, with a number of potential AD treatments entering Stage III clinical trials, the need for more clinical research in the early diagnosis of AD could lead to measures that would at least delay its onset.
The second report is very interesting in that it indicates that the use of a commonly-prescribed cholesterol lowering drug may actually delay the onset of both dementia (commonly seen in AD) and Parkinson’s disease.
In this study, published in the July 2007 issue of BMC Medicine, Benjamin Wolozin et al used data from the Decision Support System database of the US Veterans Affairs medical system.to determine that simvastatin, commonly prescribed to lower blood cholesterol levels, was associated with as much as a 50% reduction in the development of both conditions.
In an interview with the online medical news service Medscape Today, Wolozin commented on his surprise at the results of the data analysis.
“There are many “statins” out there. Some are very effective for preventing cardiovascular disease, but not all of them cross the blood-brain barrier equally, and, therefore, may not have the same impact on neurodegenerative disease.
“Simvastatin crosses into the brain very effectively, whereas atorvastatin just doesn’t achieve as high a level [in the brain]. Lovastatin crosses the blood-brain barrier nicely but it is a first generation statin and therefore is just not as potent as some of the newer agents …
“Dementia and Parkinson’s disease are both neurodegenerative conditions. Dementia is typically characterized by the build-up of β-amyloid plaques, but this is not the case with Parkinson’s. If you accept that statins are acting by a similar mechanism in both diseases it makes it very unlikely that it is acting through an amyloid-lowering mechanism.”
In the “commentary’ section the article’s authors stated that, although the use of simvastatin seemed to indicate that it was associated with reduction in new cases of both PD and AD, further work is needed to confirm the drug’s clinical utility.
For More Information
For more information regarding both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and the latest advisories concerning their diagnosis and treatment, see the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke information pages devoted to Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.
The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation is a source of information of interest to both those with PD and their families.
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America provides detailed information regarding this condition.
More information on clinical trials relative to both AD and PD can be found at Clinical Trials.gov website.
References
1. DuBois, B; Feldman, H; Jacova, J; DeKovsky, S et al (2007): Research criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease: revising the NINCDS–ADRDA criteria, Lancet Neurology 2007; 6:734-746.
2. American Psychiatric Association (2000): Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Arlington (VA): American Psychiatric Association, pp. 147-158
3. Wolozin, Benjamin; et all (2007): Simvastatin is associated with a reduced incidence of dementia and Parkinson’s Disease, BMC Medicine 2007, 5:20 http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1741-7015-5-20.pdf.
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