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Statins and Cognitive Side Effects: What Cardiologists Need to Know

Carlos Rojas-Fernandez1, Zain Hudani2, Vera Bittner3

  • 1Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Ageing & School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America
|February 20, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Statins effectively prevent cardiovascular disease with a good safety profile. While some reports suggest cognitive side effects, current evidence indicates they should not deter statin use for most patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Statins are primary and secondary prevention agents for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
  • They significantly reduce cardiovascular events and mortality.
  • Statins are generally considered safe, but recent reports link them to cognitive adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current literature on statins and cognitive function.
  • To provide clinical recommendations regarding statin use and cognition.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on statins and cognition.
  • Analysis of case reports and clinical trial data.

Main Results:

  • Most evidence does not support a significant negative impact of statins on cognition.
  • Cognitive concerns are not a primary reason to withhold statin therapy for indicated patients.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive effects should not generally influence the decision to prescribe statins.
  • Future clinical trials should incorporate systematic cognitive assessments for lipid-lowering agents.

Keywords:
Adverse drug effectsCognitionDrug safetyIatrogenesisMemoryStatins

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