Lipitor (Pfizer) may benefit Alzheimer's patients

Evidence obtained from in vitro studies and some clinical trials has suggested that a reduction in cholesterol levels could be beneficial in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. A new study published in Nature Reviews Neurology on the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study has investigated the therapeutic effects of Lipitor (atorvastatin), from Pfizer, in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease, and found it can have a favorable impact in the treatment of patients. The study on patients with mild to moderate Alzheimers used primary outcome measures of: changes in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale and the Clinical Global Impression of Change Scale Scores. Other outcome measures focused on MMSE scores, Geriatric Depression Scale scores, Neuropsychiatric Inventory Scale, cholesterol levels and the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Inventory. Results showed benefits to cognition and other outcome measures with Lipitor treatment that reached statistical significance compared with placebo at six months. Patients treated with Lipitor also showed a trend towards improvement at one year. The lead researcher, Larry Sparks, from the Banner Sun Health Research Institute admits that larger research trials are required to further research the significance of statins as a treatment for AD. See: "Alzheimer disease: Statins in the treatment of Alzheimer disease" by D. Larry Sparks, Nature Reviews Neurology, p662 December 2011 doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2011.165