Is the long term use of statins associated with lower risk for Parkinson’s?
The takeaway
Why is it important?
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IMPACT
- Novelty 75%
- Proximity 90%
- Deliverability 100%
Impact Opinion
Background
The details
Combining 13 studies effectively pooled 4,877,059 study subjects, 24,596 of whom also had Parkinson’s.
The overall pooled reduction in Parkinson’s was 30% for those on statins for more than 3 years compared to those who were not on these drugs. This estimate differed depending on the geographical region in which the different studies were conducted: studies in people from Asia reported greater reduction (38%) for those on statins, compared to those from N America (31%) and Europe (14%). A subanalysis indicated that the type of statin was also important: whereas simvastatin and atorvastatin were associated with lower risk, pravastatin was associated with elevated risk.
Observational studies cannot be used to establish whether the lower risk for Parkinson’s found in those people on statins is actually caused by these drugs or whether another underlying cause is driving both of these effects.
Next steps
Related work
Carroll CB, Wyse RKH (2017) Simvastatin as a Potential Disease-Modifying Therapy for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: Rationale for Clinical Trial, and Current Progress. J Parkinson’s Disease, 7, 545-568.