Statins Can Make You Dumb
Simvastatin Causes Changes in Affective Processes in Elderly Volunteers
That's the title of a report published in the January 2006 issue of Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The study makes a clear point that aggressively lowering lipids with simvastatin (ZOCOR™) changes mood. If it can do that it can also make other changes in brain function - such as thinking, memory, reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, movement, orientation, recognition, perception of stimuli, and problem solving.
How can a drug that lowers cholesterol in the blood change your brain?
- Brain tissue contains an abundance of lipid/fat - and cholesterol.
- Every nerve is coated with it, like the insulation on a wire. It's called the myelin sheath.
- Therefore,anything that can lower lipid levels is likely to lower it throughout the body - including the brain.
Using chemicals to lower lipids probably has negative impact on the overall functioning of the brain. Furythermore, there is no evidence that normal or high cholesterol levels have any direct effect on coronary vascular disease - heart attacks. Even if someone could demonstrate how lowering chnolesterol would yield a healthy heart, would you really want to use a drug that would leave you too stupid to enjoy it?
Authors: Morales, Knashawn1; Wittink, Marsha2; Datto, Catherine; DiFilippo, Suzanne; Cary, Mark1; TenHave, Thomas; Katz, Ira R.
John M
7:10 pm on Thursday, June 2, 2011
Hi Larry,
At the ripe old age of 46, I had emergency quintuple bypass. It saved my life. Obviously I have very high cholesterol which can only be controlled by Statins. Now 10 years later, I stay healthy by 4-5 days per week at the gym and a host of over the counter vitamins, minerals and ... Zocor!
Actually, even with a healthy diet and exercise, my cholesterol has stubbornly crept up to where my cardiologist now has me on Crestor.
My point is, wile YOU may not need statins, people like myself do!
My body is a high output cholesterol factory, and even if your post were true, I'd rather be alive and 1/2 a load short than dead.
My wife & kids agree.
Ps...In my professional life, the last 10-years have been very successful in a very slow market.
No one has called me stupid yet...except perhaps myself for not starting my own business before my surgery.
With insurance company exec's needing their $700,000,000 compensation packages, I'm cannot obtain insurance on my own.
Monty04
2:23 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011
Hi John,
I completely agree with you on this! I have a family member in a similar situation that has high cholesterol which needs to be controlled with Statins as well. This person has some serious heart problems and is at a high risk of stroke. In no way is this person 'dumb' at all. I think they would rather take the meds than die! Definitely outweighs the risk of turning dumb.