Do Statin Drugs Cause Memory Loss? A New Study Says Forget About It

The research on memory loss and statins has been pretty wishy-washy -- some small studies say yes they can cause a problem -- some say they don't.

A new study in the JAMA-Annals of Internal Medicine has some reassuring findings when it comes to investigating a possible link.

Researchers followed more than a million people over a 25-year period. That's a big study for a long period. They found that people who took statin drugs were more likely to report that their memory was on the fritz after taking the drug for a month compared to people who did not take statins.

Interestingly, people who took non-statin drugs to lower cholesterol were also more likely to report memory issues, even though that effect had not been seen or reported since the non-statins were first used decades ago. Plus, the non-statins are markedly different chemically that the statin and have a completely different side effect profile.

The study concludes that while it is possible that statin and non-statin drugs may be linked to memory loss, it's more likely that those who complained of faulty memory at the one-month mark really were more "tuned in" to side effects, particularly something that may have been present before the drug was started. In other words, the patients were paying more attention to how their minds were clicking, and odds are they weren't clicking before statins.

Researchers also have found that memory actually improves within a couple of months after starting a statin -- it's not clear whether this is because of better blood vessel function in the brain and better blood flow.

In any case, the bottom line is this: odds are statins will not mess up your mind. Nonetheless it is important to be aware of any side effect a drug can cause. Before starting any new medication, take note of how you're feeling -- what is working great and what isn't so great. Then you can have a fair comparison when you start something new.

It's never fair to say a symptom or side effect is all in your head, but in the case of statins, it appears that they are more brain friendly than we thought.

Dr. Dave Hnida is CBS4's Medical Editor. He blogs about the latest studies and trends in the health world. Read his latest blog entries, check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @drdavehnida