In a report published in the journal Neurological Research, scientists studied the effects of statins on cognitive function.
The study included 329 subjects over 65 years old, who were screened for cognitive dysfunction using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). The subjects were also screened for depression using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).
The researchers found no difference in MMSE and GDS scores between subjects with and without high cholesterol.
However, statin users had lower MMSE and higher depression scores compared to those not taking statins.
Should you be surprised by these findings? Absolutely not. You could predict these results simply by understanding the mechanism of statin drugs, which poison the enzyme HMG-CoA Reductase.
This enzyme is necessary for the production of cholesterol.
The brain contains a large amount of cholesterol, which is required for the myelin sheaths that protect the nerves. In fact, the brain makes its own cholesterol.
All statin drugs cross the blood-brain barrier. It can easily be predicted that statins will disrupt brain function and result in diseases such as depression, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s
Posts by David Brownstein, M.D.
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