Your Cholesterol Drug May Prevent Dementia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently ordered that statin labels
include a warning about memory problems associated with short-term use. A
research team from Johns Hopkins Medicine found no evidence of this,
based on their analysis of prior studies. In addition, they found that
statin use for longer than one year reduced the risk of dementia by 29%. In short, your cholesterol drug may prevent dementia.

In patients without baseline cognitive dysfunction, the results of the available studies are most
compatible with no significant short-term cognitive detriments related to statin therapy, whereas
long-term data suggest a beneficial role in the prevention of dementia. 

Researchers noted that at present, patients and
physicians can be reassured about concerns related to neurocognitive effects of statin therapy,
and the evidence does not support a change to
practice guidelines.
“We looked at high-quality, randomized controlled trials and
prospective studies that included more than 23,000 men and women with no
prior history of cognitive problems,” stated Raoul Manalac, M.D., a
co-primary author. “The participants in those studies were followed for
up to 25 years.”


The short-term memory issues related to statins could be caused by
drug interactions, since many people on statins also take other
medications, the researchers surmised. The benefits of statins make
sense, they wrote, because these drugs reduce or stabilize plaque in
blood vessels, which is associated with dementia.

So if you are on a cholesterol medicine and getting routine blood work and you are fine, be comforted by the fact that these medications may have other benefits.