Effect of simvastatin on CSF Alzheimer disease biomarkers in cognitively normal adults

Abstract

Objective: To examine potential disease-modifying effects of statin drugs, we conducted a 12-month randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of simvastatin in cognitively normal adults using change in CSF Alzheimer disease biomarkers as primary outcome measure.

Methods: Participants were 45-64 years old and statin-naive with normal cognition and normal or mildly elevated cholesterol. Forty-six participants completed the 1-year study per protocol (25 in the simvastatin and 21 in the placebo group). Simvastatin was titrated to 40 mg/d. CSF Aβ42, total tau, and p-tau181 were measured at baseline and after 12 months of treatment using the INNO-BIA AlzBio3 assay. We used analysis of covariance to assess differences in biomarker change from baseline between treatment groups, adjusting for age, sex, and APOE ε4 status.

Results: Changes from baseline did not differ significantly between treatment groups for any CSF biomarker, with p values of 0.53, 0.36, and 0.25 for CSF Aβ42, total tau, and p-tau181, respectively. There was no significant modifying effect of sex, APOE ε4, or baseline high-density lipoprotein or triglycerides on treatment group for any of the biomarkers (all p > 0.18). However, a significant interaction between treatment group and baseline low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was observed for p-tau181 (p = 0.003), where greater decreases from baseline in CSF p-tau181 concentrations were associated with higher baseline LDL level for the simvastatin group.

Conclusions: Simvastatin-related reductions in CSF p-tau181 concentrations may be modulated by LDL cholesterol. The potential disease-modifying effects of simvastatin on CSF phospho-tau should be further investigated in persons with hypercholesterolemia.

© 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Figures

Figure 1. Study design

Figure 2. CSF Alzheimer disease biomarker changes in placebo and simvastatin-treated groups

(A–C) Change from baseline is concentration at 1 year minus concentration at baseline.

Figure 3. Observed change from baseline in CSF p-tau181 vs baseline low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by treatment group

Gray area represents the 95% confidence interval for the slope.