Essentia Health Enrolling Older Adults for Clinical Study

The Brainerd Daily Dispatch reporting that Essentia Health is now enrolling older adults for a clinical study, dubbed PREVENTABLE, that aims to be one of the largest ever conducted among seniors. The study, which will include more than 20,000 participants and 100 sites nationwide, will randomize participants without heart disease or dementia to receive either atorvastatin or a placebo. Researchers will investigate whether taking atorvastatin, a drug commonly used to lower cholesterol also called Lipitor, can help men and women ages 75 and older maintain their health by preventing disability, heart disease, and even dementia. The study aims to be one of the largest ever conducted among older adults. The research team will follow participants for up to five years and test their cognitive and physical abilities, monitoring them for events such as heart attacks or strokes.