Statins use was associated with dementia

dementia

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities. Some people with dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change.

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risk decrement (relevant risk [RR]: 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80–0.89). Subgroup analysis showed statins use was associated with Alzheimer disease

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(AD) (RR: 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73–0.89) and non-AD dementia (RR: 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73–0.89) risk decrement.

Do statin drugs cause Alzheimer's or dementia?

Although this particular study found no link between statins and dementia, the research into statins and brain-related effects over all is best described as inconsistent, says Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Is there a link between statins and dementia?

Our results showed that strong statins, such as rosuvastatin, atorvastatin, and simvastatin, were associated with a larger reduction of dementia, whereas standard statins, such as pravastatin, fluvastatin, and lovastatin, were not associated with a reduction of dementia.

Do statins increase risk of Alzheimer's?

Statins have been convincingly shown to reduce the risk of atherosclerotic heart disease and ischemic stroke. In addition to their cardiovascular benefits, statins appear modestly to reduce the risk for developing Alzheimer's dementia.

Do statins cause cognitive decline?

No association between statin use and decline in cognition over time was identified. No differences were found in any of the primary outcomes between users of hydrophilic versus lipophilic statins.

The impact of statins on cognition

Why do doctors push statins?

Statins are the go-to treatment option for lowering cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular complications, like heart attack and stroke. Statins work by slowing down cholesterol production and enabling the liver to remove low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or “bad cholesterol,” from the bloodstream.

At what age should you stop taking statins?

Adults age 75 and older may not need statins.

Many older adults have high cholesterol. Their doctors usually prescribe statins to prevent heart disease. But for older people, there is no clear evidence that high cholesterol leads to heart disease or death.

Does statin use cause memory decline in the elderly?

A new study reports that statins do not cause additional memory loss in older adults. Experts note that some people avoid statins because of concerns over dementia, muscle pain, and diabetes risk.

Do statins reduce life expectancy?

On average, starting a statin brings a mean life expectancy gain of only 7 months. However, this can be viewed an entirely different way: 93% will have no gain in lifespan but 7% will have an enormous gain of 99 months. This alternate perspective has important implications.

Could a type of statin raise dementia risks?

In other words, according to the University of California at Los Angeles authors, taking lipophilic statins—which include atorvastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin, fluvastatin, cerivastatin, and pitavastatin—appears to more than double those patients' risk of developing dementia compared with those who do not take statins ...

What cholesterol drugs cause dementia?

The researchers found that of 300 older adults with mildly impaired thinking and memory, those using "lipophilic" statins were more likely to develop dementia over the next eight years. Lipophilic statins include such widely used medications as simvastatin (Zocor), atorvastatin (Lipitor) and lovastatin (Altoprev).

Do the benefits of statins outweigh the risks?

It's important to remember that all medicines have side effects, and statins are no exception. However, for the majority of people taking statins, the benefits in terms of reduced risk of heart attack or stroke will outweigh the risk of side effects.

Can high cholesterol cause dementia?

High blood cholesterol can raise the risk of certain types of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. However, cholesterol does not enter the brain, and researchers are unsure how these conditions are linked.

What is the downside of taking statins?

While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people who take them and may rarely cause liver damage.

What can you take instead of statins?

7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins

• Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis. ...
• Plant stanols and sterols. ...
• Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins. ...
• Niacin. ...
• Policosanol. ...
• Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) ...
• Natural products.

Should you take statins after age 75?

Although the risk of death from heart disease increases with age, a recent NIA-supported study suggests that adults 75 and older who start taking a cholesterol-lowering drug known as a statin may have a lower risk of death than nonusers. Findings were reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Can you live a long life on statins?

The answer is a qualified yes. Many studies have shown that statins reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.

Do statins age people?

Interestingly, another study recently reported that statins could slow aging, as they were found to be associated with longer telomere length. Telomeres are the areas at the end of the chromosomes, 23 pairs of which contain the DNA in each cell in your body.

Can I stop taking statins Once you start?

Do not suddenly stop taking your prescribed medication without talking with your doctor first. If you have side effects from the medication, your doctor might adjust your dosage or recommend a different statin or other combination of medications.

Do statins cause rapid aging?

Statins may slow human aging by protecting against telomere shortening: A feature of senescent cells. Summary: Not only do statins extend lives by lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease, but new research suggests that they may extend lifespans as well.

Do all statins cause memory problems?

The researchers found no evidence that using statins caused memory loss or dementia.

How common is memory loss with statins?

People who took any kind of cholesterol drug—a statin or some other type—were nearly four times more likely to report memory loss right after starting on the drug, compared with people who didn't take any kind of cholesterol drug.

Is there a cholesterol lowering drug that is not a statin?

There are many non-statin medications your doctor might prescribe: Bile acid-binding resins, like cholestyramine (Locholest, Prevalite, Questran), colesevelam (WelChol), and colestipol (Colestid) stick to cholesterol-rich bile acids in your intestines and lower your LDL levels.

Why are statins not recommended in the elderly?

Statins should be prescribed with caution in elderly individuals, who may present more frequent side effects of the treatment than younger people, because of the multiple associated comorbidities and drug interactions.

What is the best natural alternative to statins?

Natural Alternatives to Statins: Foods That Help Lower Cholesterol

• Foods high in soluble fiber and plant phytosterols, such as legumes, avocados, broccoli and other fruits and vegetables.
• Whole grains, including oatmeal, quinoa and barley.