Long-term statin use and the risk of Parkinson's disease

Recent studies have suggested a relation between statin use and the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the conclusions are inconsistent. Some studies found an increased incidence of PD among statin users; others found a decreased incidence. Others showed that PD incidence was related to baseline cholesterol levels.

To examine the association between baseline levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), long-term statin use, and the incidence of PD.

The study group consisted of a historical cohort of 94,308 men and women in Israel aged 45 years or more without PD or statin use at baseline, between 2000 and 2007. PD incidence among long-term statin users was compared with that among nonusers. The cohort was divided into 4 groups according to baseline LDL-C levels, and their relative risks of developing PD were calculated with adjustment for potential confounders (sex, age, socioeconomic status, history of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and smoking). The association between different variables was analyzed with a Cox proportional hazards model.

During the study period, 1035 incident cases of PD were identified. Statin use was associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of PD (odds ratio, 0.73, 95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.88; P=.001). No association was found between baseline LDL-C levels and PD risk.

Our results provide additional evidence regarding the lower incidence of PD among statin users. These findings warrant further research regarding the possible neuroprotective role of statins in PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.