title: Does statin use cause memory decline in the elderly?
abstract: Statin therapy has strong evidence supporting health benefits and mortality reduction in cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, renal disease, and genetic lipid disorders. Further, reports that statin therapy might be protective against Alzheimer's disease have subsequently been refuted in randomized trials. Low-level evidence based on case reports suggests that statins may adversely affect memory, a significant consumer concern. In this review, the published evidence on statins and memory in the elderly in randomized controlled trials and prospective observational cohort studies was examined in detail. Overall, there was moderate-strength evidence that statin therapy did not increase the risk of dementia in the elderly and low-strength evidence for no increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. Further, there was moderate-strength evidence that statin therapy in the elderly did not increase the risk for mild cognitive impairment or worsen global cognitive performance in the cognitively intact or impaired. There was moderate-strength evidence for no deterioration of memory function in the elderly. On balance, there was a moderate level of evidence of neither harm nor benefit on memory; however, the published literature contains a number of deficiencies that are detailed in this review, not limited to selection biases and deficiencies of detailed testing.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Endocrinology, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: k.samaras@garvan.org.au.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Samaras
authors.affiliation: Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia; Dementia Collaborative Research Centre Assessment and Better Care, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brodaty
authors.affiliation: Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia; Prince of Wales Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Perminder S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sachdev
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: Brain; Brain volume; Cognition; Dementia; Diabetes; HMGCoA reductase inhibitors; Heart; Hypertension; Ischemic heart disease; Magnetic resonance; Memory; Statins; Stroke