If you\u2019ve spent any time on social media lately, you may have seen alarming posts claiming that statin medications can cause dementia or memory loss due to their cholesterol-lowering effects. These posts spread widely every few years, leaving people who take these cholesterol-lowering drugs \u2014 or those who might benefit from them \u2014 worried and confused.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know:\u00a0The claim that low blood cholesterol \u2014 and therefore statin use \u2014 causes dementia is not supported by a large body of scientific and clinical evidence.\u00a0In fact, extensive research shows the opposite is true: that statins are a safe tool for helping prevent cardiovascular disease \u2014 which is the leading cause of death in the United States and most parts of the world \u2014 and that lower cholesterol levels, and indeed statin use, do not cause dementia and may in fact be associated with\u00a0reduced\u00a0dementia risk, not the other way around.<\/p>\n
What the research shows<\/p>\n
The evidence for statins preventing heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular death is overwhelming, coming from decades of rigorous research involving millions of people. What’s more, there is ample evidence that these drugs are at worst neutral, and at best beneficial, for brain health.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn at least 30 studies of lipid-lowering medications, there was no association between these medications and dementia risk. \u201cMultiple randomized trials, large cohort studies, and meta-analyses have not shown that statins or other LDL-lowering therapies increase dementia risk or cause persistent cognitive decline,\u201d says\u00a0Dr. Alon Gitig<\/a>, Director of Preventive Cardiology at the Atria Health Institute, \u201chowever, many of these studies were not designed with cognition as a primary outcome. Ongoing dedicated trials will further clarify effects.\u201d<\/p>\n Most of these studies followed participants for two to five years, with some extending up to 25 years. Across multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the findings are strikingly consistent: There is no difference in cognitive outcomes \u2014 including memory, executive function, or overall cognition \u2014 between statin users and non-users. This holds true even among older adults and those taking high doses of statins.<\/p>\n Recently, the largest systematic review and meta-analysis conducted to date evaluated 55 observational studies encompassing a total of 7.7 million people. This\u00a0study demonstrated<\/a>\u00a0the neuroprotective effects of statins. Statin use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of dementia compared to nonusers, for both Alzheimer\u2019s disease and vascular dementia. In addition, longer duration of use (>3 years), and for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and populations from Asia, are where the greatest protective effect was observed. Rosuvastatin (a hydrophilic statin) showed a stronger protective effect for all-cause dementia with a risk reduction of 28 percent.<\/p>\n Reflecting this extensive evidence,\u00a0the\u00a0United States Preventive Services Task Force<\/a>\u00a0and the American Heart Association both strongly recommend statin therapy\u00a0for appropriate people, and state that fears of statin-induced cognitive dysfunction are unsupported.<\/p>\n Why the confusion persists<\/p>\n So where did the idea that statins harm cognitive health come from? In 2012, the FDA required statin medication labeling that warned of potential cognitive impairment based on case reports, clinical trial<\/a> data, and adverse event analysis. But here\u2019s the critical context: The FDA noted these effects are reversible and not serious, and that cardiovascular benefits outweigh these small risks.<\/p>\n Some concern also stems from a logical but incomplete understanding of how cholesterol works in the body. The brain uses a lot of cholesterol to support healthy neuron functioning, so when statins lower cholesterol levels in the blood, it seems reasonable to worry they might deprive the brain of this essential substance.<\/p>\n However, as Dr. Gitig explains, \u201cthe brain’s cholesterol pool is separated from the blood pool.\u201d The blood-brain barrier prevents most cholesterol from crossing from the bloodstream into the brain. \u201cWhile research is still emerging, the scientific consensus is that the brain receives the vast majority of its cholesterol requirements from synthesis by cells in the mature brain itself,\u201d Dr. Gitig says. \u201cTherefore, the cholesterol content in the brain\u2019s cells would be minimally affected by the level of cholesterol in the blood under normal physiologic conditions.\u201d Many experts also prefer statins that do not cross the blood-brain barrier as readily as others.<\/p>\n Additionally, cholesterol made by brain cells stays around for months to several years, so any changes in brain cholesterol levels caused by a medication should have minimal impact on the brain\u2019s total cholesterol supply.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a neurological standpoint, current data do not support statins as a cause of dementia nor a common cause of cognitive decline,\u201d says\u00a0Dr. David Dodick<\/a>, a top neurologist and Chief Science and Medical Officer of the Atria Health Institute. \u201cIn older adults, studies following large groups show statins generally don’t affect thinking or memory, and\u00a0some research even suggests statin users may have lower rates of dementia \u2014 likely because the medications improve blood vessel health, including blood vessels in the brain, and help prevent large and small strokes.\u00a0While mild and temporary cognitive issues have been reported in studies and by reports to the FDA after their approval, we don\u2019t know precisely how often this actually occurs. Doctors should be aware that this is an uncommon possibility and thoroughly investigate any memory concerns patients report.\u201d<\/p>\n The bottom line<\/p>\n The claim that statins cause dementia is contradicted by decades of rigorous research.\u00a0While there can be some side effects associated with statins, the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular benefits of statins far outweigh these uncommon, small, and reversible risks, and there\u2019s no credible evidence linking these medications to increased dementia risk.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re taking a statin and concerned about your memory or other side effects, talk with your doctor. Short-term memory loss after starting statins are rare and reversible, and are frequently confounded by the large number of other potential factors that can cause brain fog. Your care team can work with you to determine the cause and adjust your treatment if needed.<\/p>\n For most people, statins remain a powerful tool for preventing heart disease and stroke \u2014 and the evidence clearly shows they do so without harming your brain.<\/p>\n This article was written in collaboration with\u00a0Dr. Alon Gitig<\/a>\u00a0and medically reviewed by\u00a0Dr. David Dodick<\/a>.<\/p>\n Republished from Atria Health and Research Institute<\/a>. Read the original article here<\/a>. <\/p>\n The post The\u00a0Facts\u00a0About\u00a0Statins\u00a0and Dementia\u00a0Risk<\/a> appeared first on Katie Couric Media<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019ve spent any time on social media lately, you may have seen alarming posts claiming that statin…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":486190,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,48,32111,7280,195896,84,79867,195895,104462,27191],"class_list":["post-486189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cholesterol","tag-cognitive-decline","tag-extensive-research","tag-health","tag-memory-loss","tag-rigorous-research","tag-statins","tag-vascular-dementia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=486189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/486190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=486189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=486189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=486189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}