Nov6Written by:NHS Editor
11/6/2008 3:21 PM 
Two medications may help stop Alzheimer's disease before it begins, and millions of people are already taking them, including Serge Kogan.
"I take statins to reduce my cholesterol and I take it every night."
That can help the heart, but now we're discovering the drugs may also protect the brain. While research has shown statins are 'not' effective in people who already have Alzheimer's, a new study finds the pills might help prevent it from starting, especially in patients at risk for a related condition called dementia.
"We found that people who took statins over a five to seven year period had half the rate of dementia as people who did not take statins, that's the bottom line."
It's not just statins, a certain pill used to lower blood pressure may help as well. Researchers found people taking a class called A-R-B had a lower risk of developing dementia. And patients already suffering from the disease were less likely to get worse. It's not clear if statins and A-R-B's will one day be prescribed to help prevent Alzheimer's. The studies do reveal that treatments good for the heart, are also good for the mind.
"Reducing risk factors whether it's high blood pressure or high cholesterol is very helpful."
"I think it's great that you take medicine for one thing and it can also help other parts, other illnesses."