Continuation of lipophilic statin therapy may be associated with a decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease, compared with discontinuation, according to research published online ahead of print July 24 in Neurology. Between 2001 and 2008, investigators recruited participants without Parkinson’s disease who had initiated statin therapy. Among 43,810 subjects, the incidence rate for Parkinson’s disease was 1.68 and 3.52 per 1,000,000 person-days for lipophilic and hydrophilic statins, respectively. Continuation of lipophilic statins was associated with a decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease, compared with statin discontinuation. No association between hydrophilic statins and occurrence of Parkinson’s disease was observed. Among lipophilic statins, a significant association was observed for simvastatin and atorvastatin, especially in females. Long-term use of lipophilic or hydrophilic statins was not significantly associated with Parkinson’s disease.
—Erik Greb
Senior Associate Editor