Heart Facts | Do statins cause memory loss?

Do statins cause memory loss?

Posted on April 16, 2009
Filed Under Statins therapy | 2 Comments

Statins therapy and statins memory loss

Statins therapy and statins memory loss

I am going to do three posts on statins therapy this week, and this is my first post investigating whether statins therapy causes memory loss.

Doctors reported that some of their female patients, especially those on Lipitor reported a loss of memory and thinking. In one particular patient, a woman in her forties, experienced an inability to concentrate or remember words. When the women stopped taking Lipitor the symptoms disappeared but when she commenced the drug again the symptoms returned. A 69 year old woman also complained of an affect of statins on memory loss after she tried three different statins. They all caused her to experience memory loss, which convinced her she was developing Alzheimers disease. Eight days after she stopped taking the statin her memory returned.

The problem with researching whether statins therapy causes memory loss or not lies in the fact that the majority of people who take statins therapy are at least middle aged and older. This population already have an increased risk of memory loss due to decrease in the number of neurons.

The jury is still out about statins memory loss and more long term research on statins therapy will hopefully provide the answer soon and uncover once and for all is statins memory loss is indeed true.

Comments

2 Responses to “Do statins cause memory loss?”

  1. Helen Duffield on July 9th, 2009 6:13 pm

    My memory is getting really bad and I have been on Zocor and Simvastatin for about3 to 4 years.The only part of my usual brain function to suffer is my memory..and it is quite distressing to not remember the safe places I put things and to forget what day of the week it is and even what I had planned for this evenings meal even though I only shopped for it yesterday! I don’t know what the answer is for people like me 68 years old and once the owner of a super memory even being able to picture what want to remember! Do I stop taking statins and settle for the consequences….I also take ACE inhibitors and these have given me an appalling cough and almost permanent runny nose…Oh to be young again !

  2. Mal Taylor on December 19th, 2009 9:20 pm

    I was on 20 mg pravastatin for 2 years with no ill effect. On September 1st 2009 I had 3 stents fitted and went onto 80mg lipitor + other drugs since when I have experienced a marked degree of memory impairment.

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