{"id":668629,"date":"2026-05-13T17:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/668629\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T17:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:20:09","slug":"is-there-a-link-between-statins-and-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/668629\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There a Link Between Statins and Dementia?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Statins<\/a> are among the most commonly prescribed medications for heart health, but concerns about their long-term effects can be worrying.<\/p>\n

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Conflicting headlines can add to the confusion.<\/p>\n

Some studies suggest that taking statins can raise your dementia<\/a> risk. Others give the impression that taking statins can help ward off cognitive decline.<\/p>\n

Which is it?<\/p>\n

The jury\u2019s still out, but things are looking promising for people who take statins, says memory and cognitive disorders specialist Nicholas Doher, MD<\/a>. Dr. Doher explains the latest understanding.<\/p>\n

The link between statins and dementia<\/p>\n

Statins work by lowering your LDL<\/a> (\u201cbad\u201d) cholesterol. They can also reduce plaque buildup in your blood vessels that can lead to heart attacks, stroke and other life-threatening conditions.<\/p>\n

Researchers have long explored how statins might also affect your brain. After all, your heart and brain health are intricately connected. The same plaques that affect your heart travel through a complex system of blood vessels that supply your brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat affects your heart affects your brain,\u201d says Dr. Doher.<\/p>\n

What the research says<\/p>\n

Over the years, some studies have suggested a possible connection between using statins and your risk for cognitive decline. But the findings have been inconsistent and often conflicting.<\/p>\n

Some early studies<\/a> suggested that statins may raise your risk for dementia. But there\u2019s some important context missing there.<\/p>\n

Notably, the research didn\u2019t show that taking statins caused dementia. Instead, it showed that people who took statins went on to develop dementia at a higher rate than average.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not surprising, Dr. Doher says. \u201cIt makes sense that people who need statins would also be at increased risk for dementia. Not because of the statin \u2014 but because people who need statins can also be at higher risk for other health conditions that are common in people who develop dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, the statin-users studied may also have had conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or a history of smoking. All of which are risk factors for dementia. Those co-factors weren\u2019t addressed in the study.<\/p>\n

Since then, more intensive research has been done, including meta-analyses<\/a> to separate the statin itself from the effects of other health conditions. Those are studies that analyze data from other research reports and weigh the strength of the findings. They\u2019re considered the gold standard in medical research.<\/p>\n

Those analyses suggest that statin use doesn\u2019t raise your risk for dementia. And that they very well may be associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because statins can protect you from major cardiovascular events, and they keep plaque from building up in your blood vessels. All of which can help protect your brain from damage that can contribute to dementia.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the verdict?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know for sure yet, but when you look closely at the highest\u2011quality evidence and weigh everything together, it becomes very hard to make the case that statins increase dementia risk,\u201d Dr. Doher states. \u201cIf anything, there\u2019s a stronger argument that they may help reduce your risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

What this means for you<\/p>\n

If you take a statin, Dr. Doher advises that dementia risk shouldn\u2019t be a reason to stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody should be prescribing statins specifically to prevent dementia,\u201d he clarifies. \u201cBut if you\u2019re using them as prescribed for the right cardiovascular indications, I\u2019m not worried about them causing harm to your brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stopping a statin<\/a> on your own isn\u2019t recommended. If you\u2019re worried that your medication is affecting your thinking or have any other concerns, talk with your healthcare provider. Switching to a different statin or adjusting your treatment plan may help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Statins are among the most commonly prescribed medications for heart health, but concerns about their long-term effects can…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":668630,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[64,63,137,500],"class_list":["post-668629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-health","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=668629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/668630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=668629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=668629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}