Age-varying association between statin use and incident Alzheimer's disease
Li G, Shofer JB, Rhew IC, Kukull WA, Peskind ER, McCormick W, Bowen JD, Schellenberg GD et al.. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2010-06-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
Objectives To determine whether risk reduction of statins for Alzheimer's disease (AD) varies by age or presence of apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele. Design A cohort of cognitively intact elderly participants was assessed biennially for dementia and AD. Setting Community based. Participants Three thousand three hundred ninety-two members of a health maintenance organization (HMO) aged 65 and older and without dementia. Measurements Statin use was identified from the HMO pharmacy database, and proportional hazards models were applied with statin use as a time-dependent covariate to assess the association between statins and AD and the modifying effects of age and the APOE epsilon4 allele. Results Over an average of 6.1 years of follow-up of 3,099 participants, 263 participants developed probable AD. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for statin use was 0.62 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.40-0.97) for AD in models including demographic characteristics and vascular risk factors as covariates. The strength of the association between statins and AD diminished with age (statin-by-age at entry interaction P=.04); the aHR in those younger than 80 was 0.44 (95% CI=0.25-0.78), versus 1.22 (95% CI=0.61-2.42) for aged 80 and older. The interaction term for statin use-by-APOE epsilon4 was not significant (P=.65). Conclusion This enlarged study confirms earlier findings that statin therapy in early old age, but not in late age, may be associated with a lower risk of AD. The relationship between statin use and AD was consistent across APOE genotypes.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Moderate
The record lists 3,099 participants. In this cohort, statin use was associated with lower Alzheimer disease risk in people younger than 80, but this association diminished with age and was not significant in those 80 and older. The interaction with APOE ε4 was not significant, and this observational study does not prove statins prevent the disease.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Li, G., Shofer, J. B., Rhew, I. C., Kukull, W. A., Peskind, E. R., McCormick, W., et al. (2010). Age-varying association between statin use and incident Alzheimer's disease. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02906.x
Vancouver
Li G, Shofer JB, Rhew IC, Kukull WA, Peskind ER, McCormick W, et al. Age-varying association between statin use and incident Alzheimer's disease. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2010. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02906.x. PMID: 20533968.
BibTeX
@article{li2010-20533968,
author = {Li, G. and Shofer, J. B. and Rhew, I. C. and Kukull, W. A. and Peskind, E. R. and McCormick, W. and Bowen, J. D. and Schellenberg, G. D. and others},
title = {{Age-varying association between statin use and incident Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02906.x},
pmid = {20533968},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02906.x}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Over an average of 6.1 years of follow-up of 3,099 participants, 263 participants developed probable AD.
- The strength of the association between statins and AD diminished with age (statin-by-age at entry interaction P=.04); the aHR in those younger than 80 was 0.44 (95% CI=0.25-0.78), versus 1.22 (95% CI=0.61-2.42) for aged 80 and older.
- The interaction term for statin use-by-APOE epsilon4 was not significant (P=.65).
- Conclusion This enlarged study confirms earlier findings that statin therapy in early old age, but not in late age, may be associated with a lower risk of AD.
Why it matters
In this cohort, statin use was associated with lower Alzheimer disease risk in people younger than 80, but this association diminished with age and was not significant in those 80 and older. The interaction with APOE ε4 was not significant, and this observational study does not prove statins prevent the disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
Study details
- Participants3,099
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 3,099 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 111 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.2 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 16 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Eric B. Larson: h-index 105 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | University of Washington: institution h-index 3,540 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20533968) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02906.x
- PubMed: 20533968
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
7 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Genetics from nearby years
Also in Genetics
210 studies in the library are filed under Genetics with no topic tag they share with another; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed tour of them. The Genetics hub.