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A question I am sometimes asked when speaking about memory and brain health is: do statins cause memory problems? So, I decided to investigate the research on this. And like many areas of research, the results are not clear!
Since many treatments that can help the heart can also help the brain, it seems logical that statins would reduce the risk of cognitive problems. Statins also decrease inflammation, which has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. And we know that high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes are risk factors not only for heart disease, but also for vascular dementia, in which impaired blood flow to the brain leads to cognitive changes.
The problem is that the research on statins doesn’t always show that they are beneficial to brain health. One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined the health records of more than 11 million people who saw their primary care doctors between 1987 and 2013. They compared reports of memory problems by people who were taking a statin to lower cholesterol, people who were given a different medicine to lower cholesterol (a fibrate or niacin), and people who did not take any medicine for cholesterol.
Though the people who took drugs for cholesterol were four times more likely to report memory loss right after starting the medicine, researcher believe this can be explained by a phenomenon called “detection bias.” This happens because people who have just started a new medicine are more likely to report to their doctor any changes in memory they might notice. Researchers believe this is coincidental, and not caused by the drugs.
Another study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, looked at data on statin use among more than 18,000 people aged 65 and older. Over a five-year period, those who took statins were not more likely to have dementia than were those who did not take statins.
Numerous other studies weigh in on one side or the other of the question. Dr. JoAnn Manson, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, says the research into statins and brain-related effects is best described as inconsistent, and remains controversial. She states, “There’s still not a clear conclusion whether they help to prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, have neutral effects, or increase risk. If your health care provider is recommending statins and saying that you are a candidate, the benefits of taking it are very, very likely to outweigh any risks.” If people taking statins experience symptoms such as brain fog, confusion, or difficulty concentrating, they should probably talk to their doctor about the possibility of lowering the dose or switching to a different type of statin.