Atorvastatin May Correct Dyslipidemia in Adult Patients at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease Through an Anti-Inflammatory Pathway

Background: Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Although, atorvastatin is a well-accepted lipid-lowering agent, the benefits of atorvastatin treatment through an anti-inflammatory mechanism are still unclear. Objective: The present study was designed to examine changes in inflammatory markers following administration of atorvastatin in dyslipidemic patients with a parental history of Alzheimer's disease. Methods: Dyslipidemic adults with a parental history of Alzheimer's disease were administered either 40 mg of atorvastatin or placebo for 18 months. Before and after the study, lpid levels, blood pressure, body weight and body mass index, and the inflammatory markers hs-Creactive protein, serum monocyte chemoattractant protien-1, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α were tested. Results: Baseline levels of lipids, body mass index, hs-Creactive protein, monocyte chemoattractant protien-1, interleukin- 1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α did not show any difference between the two groups. However, after 18 months of atorvastatin treatment, all inflammatory markers significantly decreased in association with a reduction of lipid profiles, body mass index, bodyweight, and blood pressure, compared with those patients treated with placebo. Conclusion: Administration of atorvastatin corrected dyslipidemia in association with a reduction in inflammatory markers. Our results suggest that the therapeutic benefits of atorvastatin possibly involve an anti-inflammatory pathway.