Acta Scientific Pharmaceutical Sciences (ASPS)(ISSN: 2581-5423)

Research Article Volume 10 Issue 4

The Role of Statins and Alzheimer's Disease: Systematic Review of Recent Human Studies

Salvador Nadal Domingo*, Silvia Mir Palomo and Desamparados Domingo Tortajada

Benilloba´s Pharmacy, Spain

*Corresponding Author: Salvador Nadal Domingo, Benilloba´s Pharmacy, Spain.

Received: February 25, 2026 Published: March 26, 2026

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the published evidence on the impact of statins in the prevention and progression of Alzheimer's disease, focusing on mechanisms, clinical efficacy, and population subgroups through a systematic review following PRISMA methodology.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for studies published from January 2020 to June 2025. Priority was given to systematic reviews, meta-analyses, cohort studies, clinical trials, and population-based studies in humans, published in English and Spanish.

Study Selection: Relevant human studies focused on statins and Alzheimer's disease or dementia were included. After applying selection and exclusion criteria, 14 studies were included and 70 were excluded after full-text review.

Data Extraction: A rigorous methodological quality assessment was conducted according to international guidelines. Variables collected included study type, population, type and dosage of statins, treatment duration, main outcomes, and genetic factors.

Results: Most studies show that statin use is associated with an 18% to 32% reduction in dementia risk, including Alzheimer's disease. The protective effect is more evident with lipophilic statins and in specific genetic subgroups. However, heterogeneity and methodological limitations exist.

Conclusions: Statins may play a relevant role, especially in personalized approaches, but further clinical trials and pharmacogenomic studies are necessary to define their specific utility and practical applications.

Keywords: Statins; Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia

References

  1. Zhang J., et al. “Recent advances in Alzheimer's disease: Mechanisms, clinical trials and new drug development strategies”. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy1 (2024): 211.
  2. Abdul Manap AS., et al. “Alzheimer's disease: a review on the current trends of the effective diagnosis and therapeutics”. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 16 (2024): 1429211.
  3. Kamatham PT., et al. “Pathogenesis, diagnostics, and therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease: Breaking the memory barrier”. Ageing Research Review 101 (2024): 102481.
  4. Safiri S., et al. “Alzheimer's disease: a comprehensive review of epidemiology, risk factors, symptoms diagnosis, management, caregiving, advanced treatments and associated challenges”. Frontiers in Medicine (Lausanne) 11 (2024): 1474043.
  5. Thangwaritorn S., et al. “A Review of Recent Advances in the Management of Alzheimer's Disease”. Cureus 4 (2024): e58416.
  6. Feringa FM and van der Kant R. “Cholesterol and Alzheimer's Disease; From Risk Genes to Pathological Effects”. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 13 (2021): 690372.
  7. Yu JT., et al. “Evidence-based prevention of Alzheimer's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of 243 observational prospective studies and 153 randomised controlled trials”. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 11 (2020): 1201-1209.
  8. Westphal Filho FL., et al. “Statin use and dementia risk: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis”. Alzheimers Dementia (N Y)1 (2025): e70039.
  9. Olmastroni E., et al. “Statin use and risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies”. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (EJPC)5 (2022): 804-814.
  10. Du Y., et al. “The role of statins in dementia or Alzheimer’s disease incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies”. Frontiers in Pharmacology 16 (2025): 1473796.
  11. Funaki D., et al. “Identification of subgroups within a Japanese older adult population for whom statin therapy is effective in reducing mortality”. PLoS One12 (2023): e0295052.
  12. Torrandell-Haro G., et al. “Statin therapy and risk of Alzheimer's and age-related neurodegenerative diseases”. Alzheimers Dementia (N Y)1 (2020): e12108.
  13. Kim MY., et al. “Impact of Statin Use on Dementia Incidence in Elderly Men and Women with Ischemic Heart Disease”. Biomedicines 2 (2020): 30.

Citation

Citation: Salvador Nadal Domingo., et al. “The Role of Statins and Alzheimer's Disease: Systematic Review of Recent Human Studies". Acta Scientific Pharmaceutical Sciences 10.4 (2026): 20-24.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Salvador Nadal Domingo., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.




Metrics

Acceptance rate32%
Acceptance to publication20-30 days

Indexed In




News and Events


  • Publication Certificate
    Authors will be provided with the Publication Certificate after their successful publication
  • Last Date for submission
    Authors are requested to submit manuscripts on/before April 13, 2026, for the upcoming issue of 2026.

Contact US