Study: Statins Might Reduce Parkinson's Risk

Posted by  Nate Herpich, July 30, 2013

Could that medication you're taking to lower your cholesterol also prevent Parkinson's disease (PD)?

Maybe, says a new population-based study from researchers at National Taiwan University in Taipei, which found that, in particular, individuals taking simvastatin (Zocor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor) had a lowered risk of developing PD.

According to MedPage Today, scientists hypothesize that the reduced risk seen in the study may be due to "the powerful anti-inflammatory properties of statins and the ability of the lipophilic subclass to cross the blood-brain barrier," which, in turn, "might be helpful in preventing the neuronal degeneration seen in Parkinson's disease."

The study authors admitted that long-term follow-up studies are needed to really understand if statins might reduce Parkinson's risk.

Read the rest of the story:

https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/news-detail.php?study-statins-reduce-parkinson-risk&utm_source=social&utm_medium=facebook&utm_content=researchnews&utm_campaign=statinsprevent&s_src=statinsprevent&s_subsrc=facebook