Doctors prescribe cholesterol medications for several purposes, including preventing heart disease, stroke, and treating high cholesterol levels. We also encourage lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, increasing exercise and eating a healthy diet.
While we have become better at treating heart disease and stroke, we are seeing a rise in memory diseases in the older population. Cognitive impairment disorders include Parkinson’s dementia, stroke-related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, among many others.
Population studies expect 13.8 million people to have dementia by the year 2050. With the increase in the number of people taking cholesterol medications, it is not surprising that patients are questioning if these medicines are playing a role.
Cholesterol drugs fall into several categories. Statins are the most well-known and the first choice for doctors. This group has been studied for years to explore short and long-term side effects.
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What does the research show on cholesterol medicines and dementia risk? In short, statins lead to reduced dementia, as detailed below.
These studies primarily examined patients’ medical records. Researchers analyzed lab and medical results years later to see if they developed dementia while taking statins. They also looked at patients who were not taking statins but developed dementia. The review demonstrated that statins led to less dementia risk and less Alzheimer’s disease risk with no difference in sex. In another similarly designed study, 1.4 million people showed no link between statin use and memory decline.
Doctors and scientists will continue to research and study how and why some patients develop dementia. They will continue to understand how heart disease plays a role in memory impairment later in life. If you have concerns about your risk for dementia or think a loved one may be suffering from it, book an appointment with your PCP to discuss personal factors from your medical history that may be relevant.
Remember, if your cholesterol levels are high, consider implementing lifestyle changes daily for serious progress. The general recommendation is for adults to exercise 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. That can be 30 minutes five days a week. Think about food choices at the grocery store. Eat out less — meal plan. Bring your lunches from home. Quit smoking. All these and prescription medications will help lower your cholesterol and possibly affect your future memory impairment risk!
Sources:
Hebert LE, Weuve J, Scherr PA, Evans DA. Alzheimer disease in the United States (2010-2050) estimated using the 2010 census. Neurology. 2013;80(19):1778-1783. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e31828726f5
Li G, Shofer JB, Rhew IC, et al. Age-varying association between statin use and incident Alzheimer’s disease. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010;58(7):1311-1317. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02906.x
Adhikari A, Tripathy S, Chuzi S, Peterson J, Stone NJ. Association between statin use and cognitive function: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials and observational studies. J Clin Lipidol. 2021;15(1):22-32.e12. doi:10.1016/j.jacl.2020.10.007
https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
Dr. Naznin Jamal is a Jefferson Regional Medical Center hospitalist.