PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Lipitor is a well known statin medication used to lower cholesterol, but it hasn't been tested in older people.
Dr. Daniel Forman, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh said the study called Preventable is unique, because the participants must be 75 and older.
The study is testing the drug to see if it helps people live well longer.
"As the population is getting older and dementia, and frankly, cardiovascular events all rise steeply in proportion to the aging of the population, the benefits of this drug so well proven in younger populations has remained ambiguous and even controversial," Dr. Forman said.
Related
This study will include nearly 20,000 older Americans, to determine if the statin can help prevent dementia, disability and heart disease.
"As one gets older, the vasculature gets more burdened with cholesterol, especially in the context of aging," Dr. Forman explained.
"Aging increases some of the dangerous effects of cholesterol. It's really thought that brain function and cognition may be one of the targets that suffers as a function of aging."
The Preventable study is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging.
Related
