Memory Maxmizers: Carotid Arteries & Memory; Statin Therapy & Dementia
Clogged Carotid Arteries Tied to Impaired Memory
To keep your mind clear as you grow older, keep your carotid arteries clear of the fatty plaque that can interfere with blood flow.
That’s the message of a new study that found a strong association between asymptomatic carotid stenosis—blockage of the major neck arteries that supply the brain with blood—and declines in memory and thinking. The researchers compared a group of older individuals whose carotid arteries were narrowed by about 50 percent with a similar group of individuals without carotid stenosis, but with other risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease.
Study participants underwent extensive cognitive testing that measured aspects of their thinking skills, such as processing speed, decision-making, language, learning, and memory. The research revealed that participants with stenosis performed significantly worse in all areas than did participants without stenosis except in language skills. The study, which was presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in April, was the first to demonstrate that carotid stenosis can have significant negative effects on brain health even when it causes no symptoms, and is expected to broaden the focus of treatment for the condition beyond the current emphasis on stroke prevention.
The study’s lead researcher suggested that individuals with carotid stenosis, who often have significant atherosclerosis, should:
▶ Receive statin therapy and take aspirin.
▶ Seek professional assessment for problems with memory and thinking ability.
▶ If appropriate, discuss with their medical care provider the options of surgery or the implantation of a stent to eliminate carotid blockage. Some research suggests that both treatments are associated with improvements in cognition.
Consider Statin Therapy to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia
Taking statins for more than one year may help reduce the risk for dementia, according to a new study. A comprehensive review of studies involving 23,000 older adults published Sept. 27, 2013 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that long-term use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs was associated with significant reductions in memory loss and dementia. Researchers reviewed dozens of studies that followed healthy older adults for up to 25 years, noting their use of statins and measuring their cognitive performance.
The review suggests that not only do statin medications not cause memory loss or impair cognition in the short term, as once believed, but they also appear to protect against memory problems over time. The re-searchers found that using the medications for a year or longer was associated with a 29 percent reduction in dementia risk.
The study authors theorized that statins benefit the brain by improving the health of arteries and other blood vessels and reducing inflammation. “Medications such as statins that reduce plaque and inflammation in coronary arteries may also be having the same effect in the brain,” the lead author stated.
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