And a 28% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia. According to a study cited in April's edition of Medscape.
So for those of you holding back on statins, something to consider, even beyond statin's anti-plaque and anti-inflammatory effect.
Can diet and exercise bring your LDL cholesterol below 1.81 ? Sure, it's possible, but it's only talk unless you can actually do it and most cannot.
Jim
Thanks for posting. I get rather fed up with people saying our GPs prescribe statins because it makes them money. It is such an insult to the integrity of our doctors as well as being completely untrue. This is just more evidence that statins help people to live longer, healthier lives. It won't prevent all of us becoming ill but it will help many of us. No one wants to have a life changing stroke, it is a living hell for the person affected and those close to them. My lovely brother in law sadly had a massive stroke coming up to his 60th birthday, it robbed him of his mobility and his personality. I don't think anyone knew how much he understood his new self but he often seemed deeply depressed. He lived more than 20 years.
Borderterriorist: No one wants to have a life changing stroke, it is a living hell for the person affected.
Yes, and what's ironic is that many of the same people here who are against statins, are the same people so adamant about taking anticoagulation for stroke prevention. And yet statins have proven role for stroke prevention.
And btw about the making money thing -- In the UK, GPs don’t make more money from prescribing statins than from prescribing anticoagulants—both are incentivized under the same NHS quality frameworks to improve patient outcomes. If you trust the system for anticoagulation, the same applies to statins.
Jim
That’s an encouraging study, and it really highlights how statins can have a broader impact on health than we may have realized. My own LDL levels have always been low, and the same was true for my mother and her sister. While neither of them developed Alzheimer's dementia, both struggled with resistant high blood pressure, even with medication. Unfortunately, this took a toll on their brain health, eventually leading to vascular dementia. It really shows how complex our health is—while we may avoid one form of dementia, we could still face another. However, if a medication like statins shows positive results, lowering high LDL levels and potentially reducing the risk of Alzheimer's, it’s worth considering. Dementia, in any form, is a devastating disease that no one wants to face. And for those who love them, it’s equally heartbreaking.
i heard today also that a study found the shingles vaccine has another large Alzheimer's protective effect (the result popped out of an accidental mass vax where people over a certain age all got it and just under, didnt, then the population was followed for seven years) so maybe.. do both!
Yes, I read this too. In Nature publication I believe
But, at the same time, studies have raised concerns about a potential link between statin use and increased risk of dementia,
What does the research say?
1. Some studies suggest a slight increase in risk:
• A few observational studies have found an association between lipophilic statins (like simvastatin and atorvastatin, which cross the blood-brain barrier) and mild cognitive impairment or memory issues.
• One such study published in JAMA Internal Medicine (2015) found a slightly increased risk of cognitive decline in older adults on statins, but the risk was not large — typically relative risks around 1.1 to 1.2, meaning a 10–20% increased risk.
2. Other studies show no effect or even a protective one:
• Large-scale studies and meta-analyses (e.g., from The Lancet or Neurology) often find no significant link between statin use and dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease.
• Some even show a reduced risk of dementia in patients taking statins, especially those with cardiovascular risk factors — since vascular health is closely tied to cognitive health.
3. FDA position:
• The FDA has acknowledged reports of reversible cognitive side effects (like memory loss or confusion), but states these are rare and non-serious, usually resolving after stopping the medication.
Summary:
• Studies suggest at most a 10–20% relative increase, and often only with certain types of statins.
• Context matters: Age, underlying health, type of statin, and duration of use all affect the outcome.
Interesting summary. As you say - multiple factors - and we have to take all into account when weighing up pros and cons. Just wish sometimes our GPs had time to do the same.
This is the hardest dilemma in my life: the medical community is in complete disagreement about statins. My cardiologist says I absolutely have to get my LDL as low as possible. Another (friend) cardiologist calls that ‘madness’ and my friend MD says: “I’d take it (the statin pill) every other day”. The conclusion is: they have no clue and are just guessing. I hate guesswork when my life is at stake. 😉
this is a interesting report, but I wonder if it is the full picture. My LDL is high but so is my HDL, when I discussed this with my cardiologist he said my high LDL was not an issue because of good HDL. I then had one of those carotid scans on the neck and I had zero build up, my cardiologist words were veins were pristine. So I wonder if LDL is an issue only if one doesn’t have good HDL. There is quite a lot of debate out there amongst docs about how high is too high for. Cholesterol, it seems crazy that in 2025 docs can’t agree on what cholesterol does and doesn’t mean.
My MD always said, for 15 years: “your LDL is somewhat high, but so is your HDL. And it’s the balance between the two that counts. Not to worry!”. Until I had a massive heart attack 7 years ago, with my ‘widowmaker’ clogged in 3 places. With one obstruction of 95%!
I guess they just don’t know. But I’m not keen on having the experience twice. So I take the bloody statins.
Thanks for your replyso should be ok then
I've had LDL results of 1.5 and 1.4 on different occasions, highest number was 2.1 My surgery stopped taking bloods for cholesterol measurements 3 years ago - not sure if I just fell off the list, or if they've decided it's a waste of money. I eat a real food low carb Mediterranean-ish diet and don't take any cholesterol medication. Diet? Genetics?
I’m also in the category of low cholesterol and not needing statins. I’m almost 60 and have zero build up in my arteries confirmed with a catheter angio and a ct angio. My diet is good - I just eat natural foods and avoid prepackaged, processed and high fat/sugar where possible. I also exercised for most of my life until my heart began to play up roughly 5 years ago so maybe that has helped. Genetics - not sure. I have a genetic heart condition and everyone else has/had some blockages and cholesterol concerns but I don’t. 🤷🏼♀️
I'm not sure what 1.81 means. In the US, LDL is measures in mg/dL, with 100mg/dL considered good.
In the same week but in separate articles the Times has reported that studies have shown that statins, the shingles vaccine & ozempic all miraculously reduce dementia risk. I’m afraid I’m smelling a pharmaceutical-sponsored rat.
Aspirin it is, then...
Thanks and Up date on today's meeting
Age linked to increase in GI bleeding risk associated with oral anticoagulants
Hawthorn and Apixaban?
