Health / Mon, 31 Aug 2026 The Australian Women's Weekly

Statins could cut dementia and heart attack risk as we age

More than two million Australians use the medication to lower their cholesterol and reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke. One found statins reduced the risk of heart attack or stroke by 30 per cent in healthy adults aged over 70, while the other linked them with a 15 per cent lower risk of dementia. Statins reduced heart attack and stroke risk after 70Statins are commonly prescribed to people at high risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as those who have previously had a heart attack or stroke. Statins are commonly prescribed to people at high risk of cardiovascular disease or who’ve previously had a heart attack or stroke. People who began taking statins between one and five years after their diagnosis had a 10 per cent lower risk.

Chances are, you or someone you know takes a statin every day. More than two million Australians use the medication to lower their cholesterol and reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke.

Now two major new studies suggest statins could have even more benefits as we get older. One found statins reduced the risk of heart attack or stroke by 30 per cent in healthy adults aged over 70, while the other linked them with a 15 per cent lower risk of dementia.

Statins reduced heart attack and stroke risk after 70

Statins are commonly prescribed to people at high risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as those who have previously had a heart attack or stroke.

But until now, doctors didn’t know whether starting a daily statin could help people aged over 70 who were otherwise healthy and had never experienced a major heart event.

The world-first Australian trial, led by Monash University and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed almost 10,000 independently living adults aged over 70.

Participants were randomly given either a daily statin or a placebo and followed for almost six years.

Those taking the statin were 30 per cent less likely to suffer their first major cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke.

That means a major heart event could be prevented for every 37 older adults treated with statins over six years. The risk of serious side effects was also low.

Statins are commonly prescribed to people at high risk of cardiovascular disease or who’ve previously had a heart attack or stroke. Image: Getty

“With the world’s population ageing at an unprecedented rate, answering fundamental questions about healthy longevity has become imperative,” lead researcher Professor Sophia Zoungas, from Monash University, said.

“The risk of heart attack and stroke is a concern for older people and knowing there is an effective measure for lowering that risk will be a huge reassurance to older people and their families. We hope to see updated guidelines to help clinicians make use of these new findings.”

Co-author Adjunct Professor Mark Nelson, a GP and researcher at Monash University, said the findings could change how doctors manage cardiovascular risk in older people.

“It is really reassuring to see that you can continue to prescribe or initiate statins in the over-70s,” he said. “You have to make sure the benefit outweighs the harm, and that’s what we have demonstrated here.”

The trial also found no evidence that statins increased dementia risk, helping dispel the persistent myth that the medication can cause it.

Statins also linked to lower dementia risk

A separate study, led by Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark and published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, looked at more than 132,000 people who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Researchers followed participants for an average of seven years. Those who began taking statins within a year of their diagnosis had a 15 per cent lower risk of dementia than participants who did not start taking them.

People who began taking statins between one and five years after their diagnosis had a 10 per cent lower risk.

Statins, a cholesterol-lowering drug, are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in Australia. Image: Getty

Dr Tummas Ternhamar, study author from Copenhagen University Hospital, said: “Our study supports the idea that dementia risk is best addressed by targeting several factors at once, and that cholesterol may belong on that list,” he said.

“What our findings also add is that timing matters within that acting early looks better than acting late.”

Researchers are still investigating why statins may help protect the brain. One explanation is that high levels of LDL, often known as “bad” cholesterol, can cause fatty deposits to build up in the arteries. This can narrow the blood vessels supplying the brain, reducing blood flow and increasing the risk of stroke and damage to brain tissue.

Because this study was observational, it can’t prove statins were directly responsible for the lower dementia risk. But it adds to growing evidence that looking after your heart health could also help protect your brain.

Should you be taking a statin?

Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in Australia. They work by reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver, lowering the level of LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood and helping prevent fatty deposits from building up in the arteries.

They are generally prescribed to people who have cardiovascular disease or are considered at increased risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The new findings don’t mean everyone over 70 should automatically start taking a statin. Whether the medication is right for you depends on your overall cardiovascular risk, general health and any other medicines you may be taking.

“In light of this new evidence, older patients should have a conversation with their GP about whether statins are an appropriate treatment for their cardiovascular health to help them remain fit and healthy,” Professor Nelson said.

If you’re wondering whether a statin could be right for you, speak to your GP or healthcare provider.