Research is conflicting on whetherstatinscan cause memory loss.
Statins are a prescription medication that is used to treathigh cholesterol.
High cholesterol increases your risk of chronic health conditions, includingvascular disease,strokes, andheart attacks.
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Taking statins as prescribed is an important way tolower your cholesteroland reduce your risk of these conditions.
Statins are safe and beneficial for most people but haveside effectsanddrug interactions.
Statins Cause Memory Loss: Where Did the Claim Come From?
Etingin claimed that these problems went away when the patients stopped taking statins.
There had been anecdotal reports of statin use and cognitive issues for years.
Statins and Memory Loss: Is There Evidence?
What Is Anecdotal Evidence?
Anecdotal evidence is based on the experiences people report and the observations they have made.
They are not based on data from scientific research.
The researchers did not find an association between statins and mental problems.
Statins: Is Memory Loss a Side Effect?
Statins can have side effects, but not everyone experiences them.
One common side effect of statins ismuscle pain(myalgia).
Many people take statins without any problems.
If people have side effects from statins, they usually go away with time.
If they don’t, the side effects will often improve once a person stops taking a statin.
However, they noted that these side effects are considered “non-serious” and reversible.
If you have been prescribed a statin,never stop taking it without talking to your healthcare provider.
If people experience memory-related side effects from statins, they are not permanent.
The side effects will go away as soon as the medication is stopped.
There is no evidence that statin use causes dementia.
In fact, some studies have suggested statin use may have a protective effect.
There is no evidence that statins cause Alzheimer’s.
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Food and Drug Administration.FDA Drug Safety Communication: Important safety label changes to cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.
Ohio Health & Science University.Brain fog vs. dementia.
Alzheimer’s Society.Cholesterol and the risk of dementia.
American College of Cardiology.Statins don’t cause memory decline in elderly adults.
BrightFocus Foundation.Do statins increase or decrease Alzheimer’s risk?
