Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs have had a rough time of it lately.
There was the headline-making trial of the statin-combination drug Vytorin, which rattled conventional wisdom about the value of lowering cholesterol. Business Week weighed in with a report that asked: “Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good?” And my Well column in Science Times last month pointed out that there’s no data to show that statins prolong the lives of many people who use them.
Now, The Wall Street Journal has joined the fray. Health Journal columnist Melinda Beck revisited questions about whether statin drugs have cognitive side effects that leave users, particularly women, with muddled thinking and forgetfulness. “This drug makes women stupid,” Dr. Orli Etingin, vice chairman of medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, declared at a recent luncheon, according to the Journal.
Over the years, there’s been a lot of discussion about whether statins affect thinking and memory, but drug makers point out that hundreds of studies haven’t shown a causal link between statins and memory problems. However, anecdotal reports continue to suggest that some patients do develop memory loss while taking the drugs.
After I wrote about the issue several years ago, a colleague who had once memorized poetry as a hobby told me he was unable to remember poems once he started taking statins. Dr. Beatrice A. Golomb, assistant professor at the University of California at San Diego, has collected thousands of stories from patients about statin side effects. She has said common complaints from patients taking statins include being unable to remember the name of a grandchild, walking into a room and forgetting why you are there, or starting a sentence and being unable to finish. Some complain of personality changes or irritability.
The Wall Street Journal highlights one interesting example:
A San Diego woman, Jane Brunzie, was so forgetful that her daughter was investigating Alzheimer’s care for her and refused to let her babysit for her 9-year-old granddaughter. Then the mother stopped taking a statin. “Literally, within eight days, I was back to normal — it was that dramatic,” says Mrs. Brunzie, 69 years old.
Doctors put her on different statins three more times. “They’d say, ‘Here, try these samples.’ Doctors don’t want to give up on it,” she says. “Within a few days of starting another one, I’d start losing my words again,” says Mrs. Brunzie, who has gone back to volunteering at the local elementary school she loves and is trying to bring her cholesterol down with dietary changes instead.
“I feel very blessed — I got about 99% of my memory back,” she adds. “But I worry about people like me who are starting to lose their words who may think they have just normal aging and it may not be.”
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From 1 to 25 of 165 Comments
My father has had a very similar response to the woman quoted in the article. He used to have a mind like a steel trap and could remember anything and everything. Now, after being on lipitor and another statin, he is much more forgetful and occasionally muddled.
— HopeI too developed memory problems several months after taking Lipitor. I remember one episode in which I was unable to have a simple conversation–I could not complete a sentence. I finally discontinued taking Lipitor after it seemed to cause terrible leg cramps as well as affect my memory. I have since put myself on a stringent diet and exercise program, including Tai Chi–quite effective.
— Brenda FishkinDrugs have trade-offs. Anything that crosses the blood-bair barrier has the potential to affect memory or cognition. If you need a statin to save your life then it’s worth the risks. If you really don’t need it and can manage your cholesterol with diet and exercise, don’t take it.
However, all this isn’t as clear-cut as it may seem. There have been some studies on using statins to promote neurogenesis and improve cognitive function in patients with traumatic brain injury. There have also been studies showing that statins reduce memory impairment caused by other drugs. And finally, there is evidence that high cholesterol is a major risk factor for dementia. Looks like it goes both ways.
— TMLMost of us whom are healthy, with so-called ‘high’ cholesterol should take a good look at whether or not it’s even desirable to lower our cholesterol in the first place.
My doctor tried to put me on Lipitor 6 years ago. Thankfully, I looked at the real research behind the cholesterol and dietary fat theory, and refused to become a patient for no reason.
The entire theory is beginning to crumble. A simple Google Search of the words, ‘Cholesterol Theory’, will lead you to numerous conflicting evidence on this age-old health scam.
— RBDELIIn addition to fuzzy thinking, while on Lipitor I also experienced debilitating muscle cramps. My (former!) MD insisted that Lipitor was not the cause, and sent me to a sports doctor who put me on a 6-week course of physical therapy. After PT didn’t help, I sought the advice of an Ivy-League educated holistic MD/Acupuncturist, who gave me “permission” to stop the Lipitor, since by then I was SURE that was the cause. Within a few weeks, the cramping and pain had stopped. I am extremely wary of all the hoopla over cholesterol anyway. Mine is only 220, with a reasonable diet and exercise I feel fine about that.
— LVMGood, balanced comment, TML
There is positive and negative in everything. Heart disease is a killer and some people have genetically high cholesterol that they can’t get down via diet and lifestyle. Still, don’t take one too easily and don’t trust the drug reps.
— riniI’m 80 years old and have been taking statins (Zocor) for years.
— Art B.My cholesterol is under control and my mind is as sharp as ever.
I’ve been taking statins for about five years and while I didn’t really start out all that intelligent, I don’t feel like I’ve lost any ground!
Historically, there seems to be a real “panic on the beach” mentality that occurs every time a health study is done. I would think we would have a better handle on how science is done by now, and realize that anecdotal evidence doesn’t carry much weight and neither does a single study. I want to see several independent studies showing that statins are making me dumb. Hopefully, I still have enough of my faculties to make a wise choice.
— MattAnother startling revelation and series of drug company disclaimers. We seem to react to these articles as if they show us something new. We seem unable do nothing about the damage.
Over 100,000 American die every year from FDA approved prescription drugs. Almost every day, major credible scientific research, commentary and editorials in major peer review professional journals and papers of record expose how bad it is. At every meal, gathering and coffee break, Americans recant with anger their individual experiences and those of friends and relatives of the horrors of medical care received (MCR)and its costs to them.
You can request a well documented presentation made to the National Congress on the Un and Underinsured (Washington, D.C., December 11, 2007)
— healthinfothat highlights the reasons behind the decrease in quality and increase in cost of MCR. Just enter Presentation Request in the Subject line and provide your name, phone and affiliation, if any, in the text.
High Cholesterol is a symptom of other metabolic problems. Why do doctors think ‘fixing’ Cholesterol levels will help anyone?
— AVSI have had 2 years of previously unknown forgetfullness, especially peoples names. This is the same timeline that I’ve taken statins, I never suspected them before. I’m relatively young and this has been very frustrating and at times I’ve been ashamed. Thanks for this article.
— BSIt is my understanding, that statin drugs are contra-indicated for women, especially those over 65 like Mrs. Brunzie.
From TPP — It’s not that they are contraindicated. THere is just no evidence that they help women. There were some trends in one study suggesting older women who used statins fared worse than non users but the data weren’t statistically meaningful. I think right now the most anybody can say is that there is no evidence of any benefit in primary prevention (women with high cholesterol but no known heart disease) and while statins appear to reduce heart attacks in women with existing heart disease, there is no evidence that they prolong life.
— Ingrid FetkoeterAfter years of ‘news’ suggesting that statins are a panacea, comes the caveat: they may make you stupid and, oh yeah, they may not even extend your stupid life.
Too bad for the Pharma stocks. A couple more years of massive over-prescription might have reduced critical thinking enough to eliminate pesky second-guessing.
It’s time for evidence-based medicine, instead of wish-based or greed-based medicine.
— DaveI don’t think it’s the statins that are making people stupid, I think it’s the lower cholesterol levels. Seems like we are pushing “acceptable” levels of cholesterol lower and lower and lower…do we really know what is TOO low?
— Anne W.I have been taking Crestor for years, and have noticed similar issues, especially completely losing my train of thought mid-sentence. I have trouble with phone numbers and and other details that 6 years ago never escaped me.
— JohnA lot of this is because the cardiologists are so vocal and garner so much press. They are big at setting up these guidelines. (Part of it is because heart disease is still the No.1 cause of death.) Cardiologists seem to think that no one should die of cardiovascular disease these days (or cerebrovascular disease)! (Yet, to be dead, either the heart or brain has to be completely non-functional.)
Interesting discussions about “how low to go”. Some cardiologists go so far as to say “lower is better” period. end of sentence. Yet, at super-low levels, there is an increased risk of hemorrhagic stokes, although lowering higher levels does reduce the risk of ischemic strokes. (But cardiologists dont take care of the stroke and only its suffers if there is also a heart problem.)
The difficulties with statins are not that unreasonable as cholesterol is necessary for adequate myelin, the insulator of the neuron and nerve sheath that allows efficient transmission.
The fundamental problem is that we want a magic pill to get us to where-ever. Few of us are willing to change our behaviors sufficiently (day in, day out) in a manner that may be able to get us to the same place as that simple swallow of a pill.
— susanI have been taking prevastatin for several years. My wife is concerned that I have early-onset Alzheimers because I occasionaly forget why I’m standing in front of an open refrigerator door for example.
I’m SO relieved!
— Glenn OlsenIt’s not neccessarily that statins make you stupid, it’s just that mostly stupid people take statins. Well-known scientific evidence shows that although statins may reduce cholesterol levels, they do nothing to decrease the rates of cardiovascular incidents — heart attacks or strokes.
The drug company reps have done a real good sales job on the doctors, who don’t take the time to investigate the facts for themselves because they’re too busy making $600 per hour from their 10-minute sessions with patients at $250 a pop. Yes, they must take some time to write up patients’ records, so instead of $1500 per hour they only net $600 per hour — pity the poor doctors!
— Dr. Robert D Hosken, D.Min.Hi,
I start taking Vytorin about a month ago. I had experienced speech and anxiety problems. Not sure what are the connections. Shall I stay on this medication or just quit all statins altogether? My triglycerides are high.
Thanks
— JoeI am a 51 y.o. woman, and took Vytorin for about a year. I noticed memory problems almost immediately, but did not immediately attribute them to the statin. I had some mild muscle pain in my shoulders. I also developed gallstones, which are composed of cholesterol, and eventually had to have my gallbladder removed. In just six months I went from 3 small gallstones to 10+ with several large ones.
On the plus side, my arthritis problems/pain in my knees was reduced significantly.
Only Lipitor is allowed to state that it may help to prevent heart attacks; none of the rest of the statins can claim that, nor can they claim that they prevent strokes, etc. In fact, there are starting to be more and more studies showing that statins do not prevent first or subsequent heart attacks, or heart disease. Hence I don’t think that anyone “needs” to take a statin.
I’ve also read that cholesterol might be a player in dementia; but if taking a statin means that my memory suffers, yet cholsterol *may” be implicated in dementia, well, we’re in a pickle, aren’t we?
— LRHAnecdotal accounts are almost worthless. This is why there is double blind testing. Personal accounts just do not have any place in a newspaper of the caliber of the NYT- if the goal is to be rigorous, intellectual and scientific.
— Mark AndersonLets not throw out these drugs because I have experienced exactly the opposite of these adverse things. Impacts may vary significantly with different people. I have been taking vytorin for at least three years. Before starting this medication, I felt tired, had no energy, and felt mentally loggy. After about 1-2 months on vytorin, I found that I had more energy, don’t need as much rest, and overall feel better. I am thankful for vytorin.
— F R ReichLowering cholesterol seems to be valuable for long term cardio vascular health, especially since heart disease is the number one killer in the US.
However, statin drugs are not the only effective means of reducing cholesterol. Bile Acid Sequestrant drugs like Welchol can be used to lower cholesterol. These drugs capture bile acid, which is made from cholesterol, prevent its re-absorption in the digestive tract and remove it through the bowel movement. They slowly lower cholesterol and they don’t go into the blood stream or liver. They don’t have the reported side effects of statins (muscle weakness or destruction , and cognitive problems). They do not require regular liver function tests. The only side effect I’ve noticed is they do make you gassy, but that is a social side effect.
— CharlieFrankly, I don’t see how these drugs stay on the market. There is no doubt in my mind that they do affect thinking. And, not just in women, as I’m male. I was put on Lipitor by my doctor. It took me 3 months to finally get my thoughts organized enough to realize that I was no longer able to think straight and stop taking them. Within 3 days, I was able to think clearly again, and discuss it with coworkers, who had noticed. I can’t help but think that someone is being paid off in those hundreds of studies that haven’t shown a causal link between statins and memory problems.
— Scott BurgessI was advised to start a low-dose of Zocor because of elevated LDLs, even though my HDLs & triglycerides were excellent. Knowing of all the underreporting of side effects I balked & requested an NMR subfraction lipid test. My health plan said I’d have to pay for this myself. They’d rather pay from my statins, than the test, that cost around $100. I said I’d pay for the test if they wouldn’t cover it. End result — my profile turned out to be in low risk range, with no need for statins.
I took it a step further & started seriously following the recommendations of registered dietician, Dr. Janet Brill, in her book “Cholesterol Down: Ten Simple steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in Four Weeks”. It’s been replicated in numerous medical journal articles and it really works:
— The Healthy Librarianadd oatmeal; phytosterols (I take it in a tablet, or Heartwise OJ rather than Benecol margarine); soy protein; flaxseed; psyllium powder (Metamucil); beans; apples; garlic; almonds; and of course exercise.
It does take effort, but it can be worth it you won’t to get off statins.