The findings were published Oct. 29 in Frontiers in Pharmacology, a report by NaturalHealth365 stated [1]. The study drew on health records from two large research projects in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The American project, called All of Us, included 83,355 adults, while the British project, called UK Biobank, included 173,282 adults, according to the report. Everyone in the study was 40 or older [1].
Incidence rates were also higher among statin users. In the U.S. group, dementia struck about 65 of every 10,000 statin users each year, compared with about 31 non-users. The U.K. group showed the same pattern, at about 12 versus 6, according to the report [1].
Study Methods and Dementia Subtypes
The team matched users and non-users on age, weight, health status, other drugs and a dementia gene, the report stated [1]. Even after that matching, the difference remained large, according to the report [1].
The risk was not limited to one form of dementia. U.S. statin users had about twice the risk of Alzheimer's disease and 2.3 times the risk of vascular dementia, according to the report [1]. The report also noted that Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, followed by vascular dementia [2].
Dose appeared to matter as well. People on high-intensity statins had 14% more risk than people on lower-intensity statins, the report stated [1]. The report acknowledged that the study cannot prove that statins caused the dementia [1].
The study also noted that the use of statin cholesterol-lowering medications has been on the rise for decades. Statins are among the most widely used drugs in the world, with close to 50% of U.S. adults over 75 years old taking such medications [3].
Possible Mechanism: CoQ10 Pathway
The researchers tested a protein called COQ7, which helps the body build CoQ10, and found that COQ7 explained about 8% of the link between statins and dementia. The team did not measure CoQ10 directly, so the clue needs more testing, according to the report [1].
A separate report on pharmaceutical nutrient depletion also stated that statins deplete CoQ10, a vital nutrient for heart and muscle function [4]. Lower LDL cholesterol explained none of the association, the report stated [1].
Regulatory and Clinical Context
In February 2012, the Food and Drug Administration released a statement indicating that statin drugs could cause cognitive side effects such as memory lapses and confusion, according to an account in the book Grain Brain [6]. A separate book noted that a number of cardiovascular conditions in the elderly are associated with cerebral hypoperfusion and the development of vascular cognitive impairment [7]. The findings add to existing questions about statins and memory but do not establish cause and effect, according to the authors [1].
A 2009 review of two major studies of statin medications used by more than 26,000 at risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease showed that statins are not protective against Alzheimer's, contradicting previous thinking [8]. The lead author of that study, Bernadette McGuinness, was quoted by ScienceDaily as saying that from those trials it appeared that statins given in late life to people at risk of vascular disease had no effect on cognition [8].
Conclusion: Questions Remain, Researchers Say More Study Needed
The findings warrant follow-up, as reported in the Frontiers in Pharmacology study [1]. The study is observational and cannot prove statins cause dementia, and researchers called for further investigation [1].
References
- Statins and dementia: Risk doubled | NaturalHealth365. https://www.naturalhealth365.com/cholesterol-pills-and-dementia-risk-more-than-doubled.html
- The role of statins in dementia or Alzheimer’s disease incidence: a. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11830700/
- Popular Medication Raises Risk of Dementia an - Mercola.com, July 28, 2021.
- Health Ranger Report - Pharma nutrient report - Mike Adams - BrightVideos.com, May 06, 2025.
- 2 weeks to a younger brain. by Small Gary 1951- author
- Grain Brain The Surprising Truth About Wheat Carbs and Sugar-Your Brains Silent Killers. David Perlmutter
- Handbook of secondary dementias. by Roger Kurlan
- Grain Brain The Surprising Truth About Wheat Carbs and Sugar-Your Brains Silent Killers. David Perlmutter Kristin Loberg-1
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