![]() A Reader Describes Global Amnesia after Atorvastatin: To the surprise of many health professionals and patients, statins can occasionally trigger something called transient global amnesia ( TGA). A few medications can cause amnesia, including narcotics and benzodiazepines. After brain trauma, some people cannot remember who they are or what happened recently. It is a kind of memory loss that can vary in both nature and intensity. The new proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduce LDL-C to very low levels.No doubt you have heard of amnesia. Recurrent words, Elithorn maze, digit vigilance, grooved pegboard testsĭigit Symbol Coding subtest, Trail Making Test, Stroop Color-Word Reading Test Rey Auditory Learning, Trail Making Test, Embedded Figures, Benton Visual Retention, Verbal fluencyĭigit symbol substitution, auditory vigilance, selective reminding word recall, choice reaction time, finger tappingĭigit symbol substitution, choice reaction time, auditory vigilance, selective reminding word recall, finger tappingĭetrimental effect on recurrent words, Elithorn maze, and 4-word short-term memory testsĭetrimental effect on attention and psychomotor speed domains, as well as digit vigilance, recurrent words, Elithorn maze, and grooved pegboard tests No such association was found, leading the authors to conclude that genetic predisposition to increased blood cholesterol is not associated with elevated AD risk ( 12). Another study, using a Mendelian randomization approach, looked at the association between genotype risk scores for four blood lipid phenotypes (including total and LDL-C) and late-onset AD. Importantly, this did not seem to be due to vascular dementia, since patients with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack were excluded and the finding was unrelated to findings on brain MRI ( 11). ![]() In one small study, patients with familial hypercholesterolemia showed a high incidence of mild cognitive impairment compared with subjects without the disease. One way of avoiding the risk of reverse causation is to look at genetic studies. High cholesterol levels in late life were associated with decreased dementia risk ( 10). On the other hand, in a study looking at 382 subjects aged 70 years and free from dementia at baseline who were followed for 18 years, 24% developed dementia (diagnosed by the DSM-III-R criteria). High mid-life total cholesterol levels were a risk factor for more severe cognitive impairment later in life ( 9). For example, in a study looking at 1,321 people (mean age 50 years, free from dementia at baseline, and followed for 21 years), cognitive impairment or dementia (diagnosed by the DSM-IV criteria) developed in 9% of the subjects. Indeed, studies finding a negative correlation of cholesterol level with dementia risk were principally conducted in elderly patients, whereas studies finding a positive correlation tended to include younger patients ( 8). However, this finding may be due to reverse causation, since some studies included elderly participants who might have already had AD at enrollment, making it difficult to distinguish between effects of cholesterol on the development of AD and alteration of cholesterol level because of the catabolic state and pathophysiological changes that accompany AD. Paradoxically, in some epidemiological studies, a low serum cholesterol level was associated with an increased risk of developing AD. ![]() Reported cases seem to be rare, and a causal relationship has not been established. Evidence from observational and prospective randomized trials is summarized, leading to the conclusion that as for now, there is no good evidence that statins cause cognitive impairment to a significant degree. Potential mechanisms of the effect of LDL cholesterol reduction and statin therapy on cognition are discussed. In this overview, the evidence leading to the statement by the FDA is reviewed. Nevertheless, many patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease have expressed concerns about possible cognitive decline and may have opted to forgo statin therapy. This statement was based on case reports, and no objective measures of cognitive function were used. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement regarding rare postmarketing reports of ill-defined cognitive impairment associated with statin use. The issue of statin-associated cognitive impairment has been a hot topic among both patients and health care providers, especially since the U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |