Scientists Identify New Potential Benefits of Statins Beyond Lowering Cholesterol

Statins Medicine Pills

Statins are a class of drugs that lower cholesterol levels in the blood. They work by blocking an enzyme in the liver that is responsible for producing cholesterol.

Recent research links the cholesterol-lowering drugs to a lower risk of bleeding stroke. 

According to recent research individuals who use statins, a class of drugs that decrease cholesterol levels may have a decreased risk of an intracerebral hemorrhage. Intracerebral hemorrhage is a type of stroke caused by bleeding in the brain. The study was recently published in the journal Neurology.

“While statins have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke from blood clots, there has been conflicting research on whether statin use increases or decreases the risk of a person having a first intracerebral hemorrhage,” said study author David Gaist, MD, Ph.D., of the University of Southern Denmark in Odense and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “For our study, we looked at the lobe and non-lobe areas of the brain to see if the location was a factor for statin use and the risk of a first intracerebral hemorrhage. We found that those who used a statin had a lower risk of this type of bleeding stroke in both areas of the brain. The risk was even lower with long-term statin use.”

The lobe area of the brain includes most of the cerebrum, including the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. The non-lobe area primarily includes the basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem.

For the study, researchers looked at health records in Denmark and identified 989 people with an average age of 76 who had an intracerebral hemorrhage in the lobe area of the brain. They were compared to 39,500 people who did not have this type of stroke and were similar in age, sex, and other factors.

They also looked at 1,175 people with an average age of 75 who had an intracerebral hemorrhage in the non-lobe parts of the brain. They were compared to 46,755 people who did not have this type of stroke and were similar in age, sex, and other factors.

Researchers used prescription data to determine information on statin use.

Of the total participants, 6.8% who had a stroke had been taking statins for five or more years, compared to 8.6% of those who did not have a stroke.

After adjusting for factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and alcohol use, researchers found that people currently using statins had a 17% lower risk of having a stroke in the lobe areas of the brain and a 16% lower risk of stroke in the non-lobe areas of the brain.

Longer use of statins was associated with a lower risk of stroke in both areas of the brain. When using statins for more than five years, people had a 33% lower risk of having a stroke in the lobe area of the brain and a 38% lower risk of stroke in the non-lobe area of the brain.

“It’s reassuring news for people taking statins that these medications seem to reduce the risk of bleeding stroke as well as the risk of stroke from blood clots,” Gaist added. “However, our research was done in only the Danish population, which is primarily people of European ancestry. More research should be conducted in other populations.”

Reference: “Association Between Statin Use and Intracerebral Hemorrhage Location: A Nested Case-Control Registry Study” by Nils Jensen Boe, Stine Munk Hald, Mie Micheelsen Jensen, Jonas Asgaard Bojsen, Mohammad Talal Elhakim, Sandra Florisson, Alisa Saleh, Anne Clausen, Sören Möller, Frederik Severin Gråe Harbo, Ole Graumann, Jesper Hallas, Luis Alberto García Rodríguez, Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, Larry B. Goldstein and David Gaist, 7 December 2022, Neurology.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201664

The study was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

15 Comments on "Scientists Identify New Potential Benefits of Statins Beyond Lowering Cholesterol"

  1. Simvastatin has given me polyneuropathy. It is not a medicine, harmful to many. As soon as fingers start to tingle Check B12 Stop at a shortage

  2. Yes, mention one good side effect with 200 other bad ones not being discussed. Ever watch a prescription commercial? They tend to go something like this:

    Our solution to bad breath is Dentashill! A new pill with its own will to wipe out that bad breath! Side effects may include permanent damage to liver and kidneys, weakened heart valves and incontinence. Using Dentashill gave me back my life! My breath smelled so much better! (of course I have to wear diapers now and my life may be shortened by over a decade). Ask your doctor about Dentashill today!!!

    Maybe we need better solutions than taking ten prescriptions a day at age 30….

  3. Now if only cholesterol was actually linked to heart disease.

  4. Statins can and do often cause systemic pain symptoms that go away when statins are discontinued. Chronic pain without relief is among the known causes of suicidal ideation, because there is no quality of life.

  5. I have just stopped taking Statins – 2 weeks ago, after 6 months on them. Feeling a lot better now, I’m now choosing to manage health through diet and activity.
    Terrible drug, but a money spinner like most of them!

  6. I’m allergic to all statins after on them for yrs, being sent to cardiologist who wants all my bottles not written or printed, well every Dr is freaking because the meds they all have me on causes CHOLESTEROL to increase extremely high, so I’m getting ripped off not weened, and I’m croaking all over again…but HOPEFULLY the cardiologist gets me off meds that aren’t doing anything!!!

  7. I’m on statins for cholesterol 5mg they reduced it as I was having bad side affects of the40mg tab ijus6 think we’re guinea pigs

  8. Or you can add dark chocolate to your diet and reduce your risk of stroke by 19%. Side effects include euphoria and a better love life. https://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20120829/can-chocolate-lower-risk-stroke

  9. Or you could add dark chocolate to your diet and decrease your risk of stroke by 19% – way more than statins. Side effects include deliciousness and a better love life.

    Drug pushers aren’t always on street corners.

  10. my satin tablets 10mg try my best to lost weight but I am useless it is hormones bloating insulin but luckily I don’t have blood pressure or diabetes can I leave if al my test is clear after 6month or a year please I am over weight zandre
    regards

  11. Don’t believe a Word of it. My mom was on statins and died of a brain bleed. If your LDL IS high, Ask your MD to let you get it tested. There are two kinds oif LDL. The large fluffy ones float through your arteries back to your liver for reuse, and are not dangerous. The small sticky kind are the ones that adhere to your arteries and are not good. It’s worth finding out. If your good HDL is high and your have the large and fluffy LDL, I wouldn’t dream of taking a statin.

  12. Kukahan maksoi tämän mainoksen tai saa rahat. Statiinit ovat myrkkyjä kaikille

  13. I have migraines with Aroras was given a pravastatin they started getting more frequent sometimes 3 a day didn’t link the two together was sent to neurologist medicine to expensive after I had one bad episode I pray to God for help he led me to look up sidefects of this drug one was neurological click on it if you take pravastatin takes cholesterol you need from your brain stop drug no migrans 2 months thank God

  14. Statins don’t work (unless you think 1 in 83 cases is a success story), and they have awful side effects. Cognitive decline is a huge one, as well as pain. Doctors are just pharmaceutical puppets now days. Eat meat, good fats and cut out all the processed crap from your diet.

  15. Sandra Harrison | January 26, 2023 at 12:41 am | Reply

    Lots of exciting and informative articles and discussions on here! Thanks!

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