Two studies presented at the European Society of Cardiology support the benefits of statin drugs beyond their usual role of lowering cholesterol and lessening risk of a heart attack.

In an analysis of more than 57,000 patients age 65 and older, investigators from the National University Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, reported that patients taking higher doses of statins had nearly a 60 percent reduction in their risk for developing dementia.

One explanation for the finding is that statin users have lower risks for developing small strokes in the brain, which can cause a vascular dementia or worsen symptoms of Alzheimer’s dementia.

In another study from the UMD NJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, researchers found that statin users had a 20 percent lower risk for developing cataracts compared with nonusers.

The greatest benefits were found in patients who took statins at a younger age.

Those who took statins in their 40s had a 50 percent lower risk for cataracts, while those taking statins in their 70s had only a 10 percent risk reduction.