[Effects of atorfastatin on the cognitive function of patients with vascular cognitive impairment and different...

To study the effect of atorfastatin on the cognitive function of patients with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and different apolipoprotein E genotypes.

The ApoE polymorphism was genotyped by PCR sequencing and the patients were divided into Eepsilon4 carrier (epsilon4+) group (n=24) and epsilon4- group (n=51). All the patients were given 20 mg oral atorfastatin every evening. The indices of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, as well as the scores of MMSE and clock-drawing test were compared between the two groups before and 24 weeks after the treatment.

Compared with those without epsilon4 allele, epsilon4+ patients had obviously increased plasma LDL level and lowered scores of MMSE. Plasma TC, TG and LDL-C were decreased significantly in the two groups after the treatment, and the improvement of TC was greater in patients without epsilon4 allele. The scores of MMSE increased significantly in patients with epsilon4 allele. The improvement in the scores of MMSE and clock-drawing test was greater in epsilon4+ group than in epsilon4- group.

Atorfastatin may improve the cognitive function in patients with VCI carrying epsilon4 allele, the effect of which may not be related to lowed blood lipids.