In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study led by Sparks, individuals with mild to moderate AD was given atorvastatin in hopes that it would provide favorable outcomes in patients with AD.

AD is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by a variety of structural and functional neurodegenerative changes. While the cause and progression of AD are not completely understood, those afflicted with the disease suffer from progressive dementia.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, AD is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

Sparks, D. L. Nat. Rev. Neurol. 7, 662–663 (2011);

About Banner Sun Health Research Institute
For 24 years, Sun Health Research Institute, part of nonprofit Banner Health, has been a leader nationally and internationally in the effort to find answers to disorders of aging including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The institute, together with its Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium partners, has been designated by the National Institutes of Health as one of just 29 Alzheimer’s Disease Centers in the nation. The institute’s Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research takes laboratory discoveries to clinical trials that foster hope for new treatments. Banner Health is Arizona’s leading health care provider and second largest private employer. For more information, visit www.BannerSHRI.org.