Do Statins Really Make People Stupid?

The jury is out - but pay attention.

In a February 2008 edition of The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Orli Etingin, vice chairman of medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center, is quoted as saying that the statin drug Lipitor "makes women stupid." Dr. Etingin was referring to several cases she has personally seen in which patients taking statins (her patients are apparently all women) found themselves unable to concentrate, remember words, or otherwise experienced a cognitive deficit. The deficits went away when the statin was stopped, according to Dr. Etingin.

This is not the first time statins have been implicated in memory loss, and the question of whether statins produce this side effect has been studied several times, although imperfectly. The verdict so far? The evidence is conflicting, and the question is unsettled. The latest clinical study examining whether statins are associated with cognitive deficits was published in the journal Neurology, and no such association was found in 1,000 patients taking statins.

While Dr. Etingin might have used less inflammatory language in describing this potential problem, one can sympathize with her frustration. She is certain she's seen memory deficits caused by statins, but clinical trials have failed to confirm that statins can do this. As a result, the potential of statin-induced memory problems is not even on the radar of most doctors. If her aim was to finally focus attention on the issue, one would have to say she has succeeded quite nicely.

But do statins really cause memory deficits? Unfortunately, we are stuck with the same answer we hear all too often -- more studies are needed.

DrRich Comments:

While we wait for the proverbial "more studies," what should doctors and patients do about the possibility that statins can produce memory deficits?

First, keep in mind that even if it turns out that statins can cause this problem, the incidence appears to be quite low, and apparently the problem is reversible. That is, it goes away if statins are stopped.

Second, add the potential for memory deficits to the list of reasons you shouldn't take statins (or any other drug) unless there's a good reason to. This article outlines the situations in which statin therapy is particularly important in preventing heart attacks and early death.

Third, if you or a loved one are taking statins and notice some change in cognitive ability, bring it to the attention of your doctor. Remind him or her that there's at least a possibility that the statins may be involved.

Fourth, remember that there are scores of things that can produce memory deficits, and even if it turns out statins can cause this problem, it's likely that most patients who experience memory problems while taking statins will have one of these other causes. This, indeed, is likely why it has been so difficult to "prove" an association between cognitive problems and statins.

Finally, don't stop taking your statins for any reason without talking to your doctor.

_Source:

Arvanitakis Z, Schneider JA, Wilson RS, et al. Statins, incident Alzheimer disease, change in cognitive function, and neuropathology. Neurology 2008 DOI:10.1212/01.wnl.0000288181.00826.63.