Cholesterol drug may boost cognitive function in neurofibromatosis
One effective and cost-efficient way to control one's cholesterol levels is to buy Canadian Lipitor at a fraction of the cost.
One effective and cost-efficient way to control one's cholesterol levels is to buy Canadian Lipitor at a fraction of the cost. This drug belongs to a class of drugs known as statins, which temper the body's ability to make its own cholesterol. Another statin, known as lovastatin, was tested in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disease that causes tumors in the nervous system, high blood pressure and, in some cases, learning disabilities.
Tests showed that not only was lovastatin safe for these children, but it may also improve cognitive function.
"While we originally set out to determine the safety of lovastatin in NF1 patients, we also saw statistical improvements in memory and visual attention, which is a big step towards helping improve our patients' quality of life and in evaluating biologic agents which may be effective therapies for NF1," said study author Maria Acosta, MD. The results may also be important to children with learning disabilities from causes other than NF1, she added.
For three months, 24 patients between the ages of 10 and 17 years old took lovastatin. In addition to maintaining normal cholesterol levels, the subjects were able to perform better on cognitive tests.
Further research conducted among a larger number of NF1 patients will be needed to verify these results.
|
