People with type 2 diabetes who started taking statins within 12 months of their diagnosis appeared to have a lower likelihood of developing dementia, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2026 and published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
The expected increase in dementia cases as the global population ages has intensified efforts to identify ways of lowering the risk of the condition. Since effective therapies for preventing or reversing most types of dementia remain unavailable, preventing or delaying the onset of the disease has become an important focus for researchers.
The Lancet Commission has reported that almost half of dementia cases may potentially be avoided by addressing 14 factors that can be modified. Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels from midlife is included among these potentially changeable risk factors.
“Detecting and treating high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from midlife is one such highlighted risk factor,” said Doctor Tummas Ternhamar of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, who presented the research.
This may be particularly significant for individuals with type 2 diabetes because elevated LDL-C levels are frequently found in this population. At the same time, having type 2 diabetes is independently linked to a greater likelihood of cognitive impairment and dementia.
Based on these observations, researchers set out to examine whether beginning statin therapy to reduce LDL-C shortly after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis might be associated with a lower chance of developing dementia.
“We hypothesized that early initiation of LDL-C-lowering statins following type 2 diabetes diagnosis could be associated with a lower risk of dementia,” Doctor Ternhamar explained. The researchers used nationwide Danish health data and analytical techniques intended to mimic certain features of a randomized clinical trial, helping to address some of the biases that can affect observational research.
Danish Study Included Over 132,000 People
For the analysis, researchers examined Danish national registry data involving 132,585 individuals who had never used statins before and were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 2006 and 2019.
The participants were followed until the end of 2021, with researchers using their medical records to determine whether they were subsequently diagnosed with any form of dementia.
To assess whether the timing of statin treatment was associated with dementia risk, the research team used a clone-censor-weight methodology. Participants were compared according to three treatment patterns: those who did not begin statins during the five years following their diabetes diagnosis, those who started within the first 12 months, and those who began treatment between one and five years after diagnosis.
Across a median follow-up period of 7.1 years, dementia was diagnosed in 2.7% of the study population.
Earlier Treatment Associated With Greater Reduction
The analysis found that individuals who began statin therapy during the first year after their type 2 diabetes diagnosis had a 15% lower relative risk of developing dementia over a 10-year period than those who did not start statins.
A reduction in risk was also observed among people who delayed treatment. Those who initiated statins between one and five years after their diabetes diagnosis experienced a 10% lower relative risk of dementia over 10 years compared with people who did not begin treatment.
The researchers reported that the overall pattern of results was comparable in both men and women.
“In individuals developing type 2 diabetes, statins were associated with a lower risk of dementia, most pronounced in those with early initiation,” Doctor Ternhamar said.
He also pointed out that statins may not be used sufficiently among people with type 2 diabetes, even though their ability to lower cardiovascular risk is well established. According to the researchers, the possibility of an additional association with reduced dementia risk could provide another reason to ensure that people with type 2 diabetes and elevated LDL-C receive appropriate statin therapy in a timely manner.
Researchers Warn That Statins Cannot Yet Be Said to Prevent Dementia
While the findings indicate that earlier statin treatment could potentially offer benefits in addition to cardiovascular protection, the study does not demonstrate that statins directly prevent dementia.
Professor Isabel Goncalves, a Member of the ESC Communication Committee, said people with type 2 diabetes are already at increased risk of dementia. They are also routinely advised to control cholesterol levels because doing so can help reduce the chances of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.
According to Professor Goncalves, the research indicates that commencing statin therapy relatively soon after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis may be associated with a modestly lower risk of dementia. The apparent reduction was greater among those who started treatment earlier rather than waiting several years.
The potential significance of the findings is increased by the fact that statins are widely accessible and inexpensive. Nevertheless, because the research was observational rather than a randomized clinical trial, it cannot establish that statin treatment was responsible for the lower dementia risk.
The researchers and experts therefore said the findings should be viewed as a basis for additional investigation and as information that may contribute to conversations between healthcare professionals and patients about appropriate cholesterol management and statin use.
The research received financial support from the Danish Cardiovascular Academy, which is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and The Danish Heart Foundation, as well as Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Snedkermester Sophus Jacobsen og hustru Astrid Jacobsens Fond, Beckett fonden, Overlæge Johan Boserup og Lise Boserups legat and Direktør Jakob Madsens og Hustru Olga Madsens fond.
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