Texas Border Business
Edinburg, TX — DHR Health Institute for Research and Development, which is affiliated with DHR Health, is recruiting participants for a clinical trial known as PREVENTABLE. The study, coordinated by Duke University and funded by the NIH, will investigate whether taking atorvastatin can prevent dementia, disability, and heart disease in adults 75 and over. Atorvastatin, more commonly known as Lipitor®, is normally used to lower cholesterol.
The PREVENTABLE study is being conducted simultaneously at 100 sites across the U.S. This is a unique opportunity to feel a part of something bigger to advance medical knowledge for adults 75 and older. Participants will be joining up to 20,000 others interested in learning if atorvastatin will allow people to live well for longer. Participants, who must not currently have heart disease or dementia, will be randomized, some receiving atorvastatin and others receiving a placebo. This placebo is a pill that looks like atorvastatin but does not have medicine in it. Researchers will follow participants for up to five years and test their memory, thinking, and physical abilities and will watch them during this time for conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
PREVENTABLE has been designed to be easy for participants. Researchers will follow participants using electronic health records and Medicare data. Study visits will be done by phone, and the atorvastatin or placebo will be shipped to participants’ homes every three months.
“Few studies have focused exclusively on individuals aged 75 or older,” said Dr. Sohail Rao, executive vice president of DHR Health and president and CEO of the DHR Health Institute for Research & Development. “While statins have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events for some patients, PREVENTABLE will help us learn if they are helpful for older adults who do not have heart disease.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Among people ages 65 and older, African Americans have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (13.8 percent), followed by Hispanics (12.2 percent) and non-Hispanic whites (10.3 percent), American Indian and Alaska Natives (9.1 percent), and Asian and Pacific Islanders (8.4 percent).” The population in the Rio Grande Valley makes our region an important site for PREVENTABLE.
“Patients often ask me what they can do to stay healthy and prevent dementia.” said Dr. Karen Alexander, geriatric cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center and principal investigator for PREVENTABLE. “Results from this study will help us provide valuable answers to improve how we age.”
PREVENTABLE is funded by the National Institute of Aging and the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number U19AG065188. To learn more about PREVENTABLE, visit www.preventabletrial.org. To find out who can take part in the study, or for more information, please call 956-362-2391 or email dhrresearch@dhr-rgv.com.
