Taking statins early for type 2 diabetes reduces the risk of dementia

Starting statins soon after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia. The study results were published in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe.

The researchers analyzed data from 132,585 Danish residents who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes from 2006 to 2019. Participants were divided into those who started treatment within the first year after diagnosis, one to five years later, or did not start taking statins at all during the first five years. The average follow-up period was 7.1 years.

During this time, 2.7 percent of participants developed dementia. People who started taking statins within the first year of diabetes diagnosis had a 15 percent lower relative risk of dementia over ten years compared with those who didn't start treatment. When starting drugs later, the risk was 10 percent lower.

The authors believe that timely reduction of "bad" cholesterol levels may be especially important for people with type 2 diabetes, who are initially at increased risk of cognitive impairment.