Statins and Dementia

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Sbharris[atsign]ix.netcom.com - 24 Jul 2005 01:36 GMT

Here is the abstract of the paper generating the noise:

1: Arch Neurol. 2005 Jul;62(7):1047-51.

Statin use and the risk of incident dementia: the Cardiovascular Health
Study.

Rea TD, Breitner JC, Psaty BM, Fitzpatrick AL, Lopez OL, Newman AB,
Hazzard WR, Zandi PP, Burke GL, Lyketsos CG, Bernick C, Kuller LH.

Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98101, USA.
rea123@u.washington.edu

BACKGROUND: Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase
inhibitors) reduce cardiovascular risk through mechanisms that might
affect the development of dementia. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether
statin use is associated with a lower risk of dementia compared with
never use of lipid-lowering agents (LLAs). DESIGN: Cohort study of
community-dwelling adults 65 years and older. The analysis included
2798 participants free of dementia at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, we estimated the
risk of incident all-cause and type-specific dementia associated with
time-dependent statin therapy compared with never use of LLAs. The
primary analyses incorporated a 1-year lag between exposure and
outcome. Secondary analyses included the final year of exposure and
modeled statin use as current use vs nonuse to simulate a case-control
approach. RESULTS: Compared with never use of LLAs, ever use of statins
was not associated with the risk of all-cause dementia
(multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.08; 95% confidence
interval [CI], 0.77-1.52), Alzheimer disease alone (HR, 1.21; 95% CI,
0.76-1.91), mixed Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia (HR, 0.87;
95% CI,
0.44-1.72), or vascular dementia alone (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.61-3.06).
In
contrast, in secondary analyses, current use of statins compared with
nonuse of LLAs was associated with HRs of 0.69 (95% CI, 0.46-1.02) for
all-cause dementia and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.35-0.92) for any Alzheimer
disease. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort study, statin therapy was not
associated with a decreased risk of dementia. Methodological
differences may explain why results of this cohort investigation differ
from those of prior case-control studies. Additional investigation is
needed to determine whether and for whom statin use may affect dementia
risk.

PMID: 16009757 [PubMed - in process]

COMMENT:

So the confidence limits for development of all-cause dementia in
people who had used statins vs. never used them, was 1.08 [.77 - 1.52].
Since this included a 1-year lag, it's less likely to be biased by
people being taken off statins due to developing dementia (not likely
in today's medical climate, but in theory possible), or (more likely)
being put ON statins due to developing some kind of dementia
(especially a multi-stroke caused type). Basically, however, no
difference was seen. The dementia subtype numbers are wider, and none
of them reach significance either.

In a secondary analysis which divided people by CURRENT use of statins
compared with non-use (which would be more sensitive to an immediate
current dementing effect of the drug), the hazard ratio for all
dementias was .69 (.46-1.02). This is very close to finding a positive
result for statins (i.e., non-demented people found significantly more
likely to be taking a statin). This is an odd result. It may reflect
some withdrawal of statins from people who develop dementia, but one
suspects that it's hardly likely to be because anyone suspects the
statin of being contributory. More likely is that doctors and families
quit trying to hard to prevent heart attacks in people who become
demented (and who are often institutionalized). In any case, there is
no way of interpreting any of these numbers to suggest that statins
cause very much dementia.

Here's a review reminding us that the positive epidemiological studies
on statins which seem to show a protective effect on dementia, are
flawed in various ways. And indeed they are. Prospective randomized
trials have shown no effect of statins on dementia progression ---
either positive OR negative. We lack good prospective evidence that
statins delay or prevent dementia of any time. But if statins CAUSED
dementia, one would expect all the numbers to go the other way. nd we
certainly would have seen a negative result in the randomized
intervention trials.

J Fam Pract. 2005 Jul;54(7):626-7.

Do statins delay onset or slow progression of Alzheimer's dementia?
Suchecki SA, Aitken PV Jr, Potts R, Collins LJ, Modi S.

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; New Hanover Regional Medical
Center, Wilmington, NC USA. E-mail: slade.suchecki@nhhn.org.

Statins (coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors) should not be used with the
single
intent to delay the onset or slow the progression of dementia. Large
randomized control trials (RCTs) found that the administration of a
statin had no significant effect on preventing or slowing all-cause
cognitive decline (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, based on large
RCTs with narrow confidence interval). Specifically, there is
insufficient evidence that statins delay the onset or slow the
progression of Alzheimer's dementia (SOR: B, based on systematic review
with heterogeneity). While 3 epidemiologic studies have found a
decreased incidence of dementia among those taking statins, these
studies have significant methodological shortcomings and do not show a
causal relationship (SOR: C, based on poor-quality studies).

PMID: 16009093 [PubMed - in process]

Next is the first 12 months of a small but randomized prospective trial
of Lipitor for dementia. It is weakly positive-- not very impressive.
But if Lipitor (here used in high dose at 80 mg a day) was the brain
toxin it's been painted as, we surely would NOT see the results below

Arch Neurol. 2005 May;62(5):753-7.

Atorvastatin for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer disease:
preliminary results.

Sparks DL, Sabbagh MN, Connor DJ, Lopez J, Launer LJ, Browne P, Wasser
D,
Johnson-Traver S, Lochhead J, Ziolwolski C.

Author Affiliations: Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351,
USA.
larry.sparks@sunhealth.org

BACKGROUND: Laboratory evidence of cholesterol-induced production of
amyloid
beta as a putative neurotoxin precipitating Alzheimer disease, along
with
epidemiological evidence, suggests that cholesterol-lowering statin
drugs may favorably influence the progression of the disorder.
OBJECTIVE: To determine if treatment with atorvastatin calcium affects
the cognitive and/or behavioral decline in patients with mild to
moderate Alzheimer disease. DESIGN: Pilot intention-to-treat,
proof-of-concept, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized (1:1)
trial with a 1-year exposure to once-daily atorvastatin calcium (80 mg;
two 40-mg tablets) or placebo using last observation carried forward
analysis of covariance as the primary method of statistical assessment.
PARTICIPANTS: Individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease
(Mini-Mental State Examination score of 12-28) were recruited. Of the
98 participants providing informed consent, 71 were eligible for
randomization, 67 were randomized, and 63 subjects completed the
3-month visit and were considered evaluable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The
primary outcome measures were change in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment
Scale-cognitive subscale and the Clinical Global Impression of Change
Scale scores. The secondary outcome measures included scores on the
Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, the
Neuropsychiatric Inventory Scale, and the Alzheimer's Disease
Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Inventory. The tertiary
outcome measures included total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
RESULTS: Atorvastatin reduced circulating cholesterol levels and
produced a positive signal on each of the clinical outcome measures
compared with placebo. This beneficial effect reached significance for
the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment
Scale-cognitive subscale at 6 months and was significant at the level
of a trend for the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive
subscale, Clinical Global Impression of Change Scale, and
Neuropsychiatric Inventory Scale at 12 months assessed by analysis of
covariance with last observation carried forward. CONCLUSION:
Atorvastatin treatment may be of some clinical benefit and could be
established as an effective therapy for Alzheimer disease if the
current findings are substantiated by a much larger multicenter trial.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial

PMID: 15883262 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

================

Reply to this Message

Sharon Hope - 24 Jul 2005 04:18 GMT

There are three books out that discuss statin-caused dementia:
Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol,
by Duane Graveline, MD
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0741418819/qid=1122171160/sr=8-2/r
ef=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/104-4117608-6935950?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

What You Must Know About Statin Drugs & Their Natural Alternatives, by Jay
S. Cohen, MD
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0757002579/qid=1122171160/sr=8-1/r
ef=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-4117608-6935950?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Statin Drugs - Side Effects and The Misguided War on Cholesterol, by Duane
Graveline, MD
http://www.firmprice.com/spacedoc/

There are more published studies on statins and dementia:

AMNESIA & STATINS

Frequently Asked Question: Amnesia is one of the Lipitor side

effects reported by Pfizer on the Physician's Information, where

can I find out more about people who have had amnesia

episodes while taking the drug?

Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin (Australia's equivalent to the

FDA)

Volume 17, Number 3, August 1998, section 3, page 3

Simvastatn is listed under "DRUGS THAT MAKE YOU FORGET"

Recognizing the 14 reports of Amnesia under that drug, .8% of the total
adverse effects

for that drug.

www.health.gov.au/tga/docs/pdf/aadrbltn/aadr9808.pdf

MEMORY LOSS & STATINS

Frequently Asked Question: What medical research studies have

been done on Statins and Memory Loss, or other mental

problems that I can bring to my doctor's attention?

(Statins: Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol, Zocor, Lescol, and Baycol, aka
atorvastatin,

cerivastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin; Nerve
Damage:

Neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, polyneuropathy; See separate FAQ for
memory loss,

cognitive damage, amnesia and aphasia, i.e., central nervous system (CNS)
damage)

Am J Med. 2004 Dec 1;117(11):823-9.

Randomized trial of the effects of simvastatin on cognitive functioning in

hypercholesterolemic adults.

Muldoon MF, Ryan CM, Sereika SM, Flory JD, Manuck SB.

Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
15260, USA.

mfm10@pitt.edu

"This study provides partial support for minor decrements in cognitive
functioning with

statins. Whether such effects have any long-term sequelae or occur with
other

cholesterol-lowering interventions is not known." This is the second of two
studies by

Muldoon, both showing measurable cognitive decline in statin groups after
only 6

months, using Neuropsych testing. Further, the cognitive deficits appear
consistently in

specific areas.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstr

act&list_uids=15589485

Golomb BA, Yang E, Denenberg J, Criqui M (2003),

Statin-associated adverse events. P95. Presented at the 43rd Annual
Conference on

Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. Miami; March 5-8.

Muldoon MF, Ryan CM, Flory JD, Manuck SB (2002),

Effects of simvastatin on cognitive functioning.

Presented at the American Heart Association Scientific

Sessions. Chicago; Nov. 17-20.

Muldoon MF, Barger SD, Ryan CM, Flory JD, Lehoczky JP, Matthews KA, Manuck
SB.

Effects of lovastatin on cognitive function and psychological well-being.

After 6 months, 100% of the patients on placeboes showed a measurable
increase in

cognitive function, and 100% of the statin patients showed a measurable
decrease in

cognitive function.

Am J Med. 2000 May;108(7):538-46.

PMID: 10806282 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1

0806282&dopt=Abstract

Cognitive impairment associated with atorvastatin and simvastatin.

King DS, Wilburn AJ, Wofford MR, Harrell TK, Lindley BJ, Jones DW.

Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson,
Mississippi

39216, USA. dking@pharmacy.umsmed.edu

Pharmacotherapy. 2003 Dec;23(12):1663-7.

"we report two women who experienced significant cognitive impairment
temporally

related to statin therapy. One woman took atorvastatin, and the other first
took

atorvastatin, then was rechallenged with simvastatin. Clinicians should be
aware of

cognitive impairment and dementia as potential adverse effects associated
with statin

therapy." PMID: 14695047

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstr

act&list_uids=14695047

Cognitive impairment associated with atorvastatin.

King DS, Jones DW, Wofford MR et al. (2001), Presented at the American
College of

Clinical Pharmacy Spring Practice and Research Forum. Salt Lake City; April
22-25.

Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin (Australia's equivalent to the
FDA)

Volume 17, Number 3, August 1998, section 3, page 3

Simvastatn is listed under "DRUGS THAT MAKE YOU FORGET"

Recognizing the 14 reports of Amnesia under that drug, .8% of the total
adverse effects

for that drug.

www.health.gov.au/tga/docs/pdf/aadrbltn/aadr9808.pdf

Statin-associated memory loss: analysis of 60 case reports and review of the

literature.

Wagstaff LR, Mitton MW, Arvik BM, Doraiswamy PM.

Drug Information Service, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North
Carolina

27710, USA. Pharmacotherapy. 2003 Jul;23(7):871-80.

This study searched the MedWatch drug surveillance system of the Food and
Drug

Administration (FDA) from November 1997-February 2002 for reports of
statinassociated

memory loss. They also reviewed the published literature. References from

the study are good for follow-up research.

Abstract:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1

2885101&dopt=Abstract

Full Study Text free on Medscape:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/458867

The Role of Lipid-Lowering Drugs in Cognitive Function: A Meta-Analysis of

Observational Studies

from Pharmacotherapy

Posted 06/30/2003

Mahyar Etminan, Pharm.D., Sudeep Gill, M.D., FRCPC, Ali Samii, M.D., FRCPC

Although this study does bring the cognitive issues to light, it is a very
poor study. The

authors left out the pivotal study by Dr. Muldoon, that showed nearly 100%
of statin

users had a measurable loss of cognitive ability after 6 months, while 100%
of the

placebo group improved their scores.

Abstract:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1

2820814&dopt=Abstract

Full Study Text free on Medscape:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/456866

Simvastatin-Associated Memory Loss

Amanda Orsi, Pharm.D., Olga Sherman, Pharm.D., and Zegga Woldeselassie,
Pharm.D.,

Abstract: The statins are widely used to treat dyslipidemias. They are
generally

associated with mild adverse effects, but rarely, more serious reactions may
occur. A 51-

year-old man experienced delayed-onset, progressive memory loss while
receiving

simvastatin for hypercholesterolemia. His therapy was switched to
pravastatin, and

memory loss resolved gradually over the next month, with no recurrence of
the adverse

effect.

from Pharmacotherapy

Posted 06/01/2001

Page 1 of 3:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/409738?WebLogicSession=PXke2H8h99pyNVS

CajAh5clptzOAHJSZuNBobSwWmi9veWjdJ2A3%7C-

1468812056489609316/184161392/6/7001/7001/7002/7002/7001/-1

full printable version: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/409738_print

ADR of the Month

September 2001 Vol. 6 No. 9

EDITORS

Michelle W. McCarthy, Pharm.D.

Anne E. Hendrick, Pharm.D.

University of Virginia Health System

Department of Pharmacy Services

Drug Information Center

PO Box 800674

Charlottesville, VA 22908-0674

http://hsc.virginia.edu/pharmacyservices/

Newsletters/ADR%20of%20the%20Month/ADRMonth%209-01htm.html

The Tablet, a general member benefit published by the British Columbia
Pharmacy

Association, September 2001, Volume 10 no 8.

Excerpt:

Do HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors impair memory? After taking simvastatin for
a

year, a 51-year-old patient developed short term memory loss, to the extent
of being

unable to complete his sentences because he would forget what he was going
to say. The

drug was discontinued, replaced by pravastatin, and within one month his
memory

returned.14 In a separate case, a 67-year-old woman developed impaired
short-term

memory, altered mood, social impairment, cognitive impairment and dementia
after one

year of atorvastatin therapy. When atorvastatin was discontinued, her
memory, mood and

cognition improved completely.15 Memory impairment in a patient receiving
atorvastatin

has been reported to the BC Regional ADR Centre.

REFERENCES:

14. Orsi A, Sherman O, Woldeselassie Z. Simvastatin-associated memory loss.

15. King DS, Jones DW, Wofford MR et al. First report of cognitive
impairment in an

elderly patient: case report. Pharmacotherapy 2001 Mar; 21: 371.

http://www.bcpharmacy.ca/publications/thetablet/pdf_version/BCPhA_Tablet-

Sep2001.pdf

See page 11 of 16:

See also:

Statins and risk of polyneuropathy, A case-control study

D. Gaist, MD, PhD; U. Jeppesen, MD, PhD; M. Andersen, MD, PhD; L.A. García

Rodríguez, MD, MSc;

J. Hallas, MD, PhD; and S.H. Sindrup, MD, PhD

http://213.4.18.135/87.pdf full text

Preclinical safety evaluation of cerivastatin, a novel HMG-CoA reductase
inhibitor.

von Keutz E, Schluter G.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9

737641&dopt=Abstract

Institute of Toxicology, PH-Product Development, Bayer AG, Wuppertal,
Germany

Am J Cardiol. 1998 Aug 27;82(4B):11J-17J.

PMID: 9737641

"In dogs, the species most sensitive to statins, cerivastatin caused
erosions and

hemorrhages in the gastrointestinal tract, bleeding in the brain stem with
fibroid

degeneration of vessel walls in the choroid plexus, and lens opacity."

Subchronic toxicity of atorvastatin, a hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A
reductase

inhibitor, in beagle dogs.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8

864188&dopt=Abstract

Walsh KM, Albassam MA, Clarke DE.

Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research, Division of Warner-Lambert Company, Ann

Arbor, Michigan 48105, USA.

"The toxicity of atorvastatin (AT), an inhibitor of
hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A

reductase (HMG), was evaluated in beagle dogs. hemorrhage in gallbladder and
brain,

demyelination of optic nerve, and skeletal muscle necrosis"

Finally, on memory loss and statins: Sworn testimony from the Baycol trial
in Corpus

Christi, Texas. From the transcript of the AM Session on 03-05-03, in the
case Hollis

Haltom Vs. Bayer Corporation. Testifying under oath,., in response to the
plaintiff's

attorney's question, "What is your current position at Bayer?", LAWRENCE
POSNER,

M.D of BAYER stated: "I'm the -- currently I'm the head of worldwide
regulatory affairs

for our prescription drug business, which means I have responsibility in
somewhere

between 60 and 100 countries where we sell products for registrations,
compliance,

things of that nature." Excerpts from the trial transcript follow, with the
Q indicating

counsel's Question, and the A indicating Dr. Posner's Answer:

Q. So there are some concerns addressed here back in 1995 about testing up
to .8. And do

you know what the nature of the concern was?

A. Yes. It was related to a side effect that occurred in the brain.

Q. Of what kind of animal?

A. It occurred in the brain of dogs.

Q. Okay. So there was a side effect that occurred in dogs, and then there
was a concern

about whether you wanted to go forward and test at this higher dose level in
human

beings, given what you had learned about the dogs, right?

A. That's correct.

Q. Okay. Now, did you just say, well, let's forget about these concerns and
we'll go ahead

and put .8 on the market anyway, or did you do some further analysis that
was not

mentioned the other day?

A. Yes. The authors of this had -- they had two concerns. One concern was
the toxicity

that they found in the brain of dogs. But the other was that they had no way
to identify

this and who might be at risk before it happened. So there was no way to
detect that

someone was at risk for this side effect.

[skip some testimony on other topics]

Q. Do you remember in one kind of animal there had been some studies done
that there

could be a particular kind of problem with one kind of animal?

A. Oh, yeah. Yes, from the -- that's correct, from the toxicology studies.

Q. Okay. And were you able to demonstrate to your own satisfaction, to
SmithKline's

satisfaction, to the FDA's satisfaction, that that particular problem that
showed up with

that kind of animal is not something that happens in human beings?

A. Yes. We did it -- we did it by explaining the toxicology data. We also
explained it on

the basis of kinetic data. That actually at the higher levels of drug, what
happens is a

certain amount of drug is bound to proteins in the body that circulate; and
therefore, is

not -- cannot cause side effects. And actually, a much smaller proportion of
the drug is

free. And that what you corrected for that, you actually found out that the
margins of

safety were in fact greater than you would predict just from the animal
data.

Q. And as you move forward then and got approval and sold Baycol from 1997
through

2001, did that problem that had shown up with that one kind of animal ever
become a

problem with human beings?

A. It was actually shown with other statins as well. It wasn't unique to
cerivastatin. It was

a problem -- it was identified early on with lovastatin and some of the
others. In fact, for

none of the statins did it ever predict for any clinical problem or
toxicity.

Q. So these animals would have that same problem regardless of which
statin -- or at

least with other statins?

A. Certainly with lovastatin it was true.

Q. But when it came time to human beings, that just wasn't something that
happened to

human beings?

A. And I think today no one pays much attention to it.

Google search for the terms: "statin amnesia" and you will get at least
18,400 hits for
"amnesia statin" in about 0.09 seconds. A small subset below:

Statin Amnesia - The True Cost
http://www.spacedoc.net/statin_amnesia_true_cost.html

"You're my Wife?" Amnesia is Possible Side Effect of Statin Drug
http://www.alzheimersupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/2048

Statin Drugs & Memory Loss - Share The Wealth
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2003/12/05/statin_drugs_memory_loss.htm

The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About ...
... you want to be in an airplane when your pilot develops statin-induced
amnesia?
... can cause amnesia, memory loss has shown up in several statin trials.
...
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/24/statin_drugs.htm

Sudden Memory Loss Linked to Cholesterol Drugs 7/30/03
http://www.mercola.com/2003/jul/30/cholesterol_drugs.htm

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients: Transient global amnesia ...
Transient global amnesia: a side effect of "statin" treatment. Townsend
Letter
for Doctors and Patients, August-Sept, 2004
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_253-254/ai_n6176270

Transient Global Amnesia - A Side Effect of Statin Treatment
http://www.thincs.org/WAPF2003.htm

Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Popular ...
... can cause amnesia, memory loss has shown up in several statin trials. In
a
trial involving 2502 subjects, amnesia occurred in 7 receiving Lipitor; ...
http://www.westonaprice.org/moderndiseases/statin.html

Interview with Dr. Duane Graveline
http://www.medicationsense.com/articles/april_june_04/graveline.html

Evergreen Monthly: Statins: The Memory Thieves
Transient global amnesia is the most extreme case of statin-associated
cognitive
impairment. Research and clinical evidence, as well as reports from ...
http://www.evergreenmonthly.com/2004/em2008/eh_lead2008.html

Cholesterol Myths Debunked--Bad News for Statin Drug manufacturers
http://www.ahrp.org/infomail/03/07/11.php

amnesia on Encyclopedia.com
Transient global amnesia: a side effect of "statin" treatment.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/a1/amnesia.asp

AlzheimerSupport.com Treatment & Research Information "You're my ...
Transient global amnesia: a side effect of "statin" treatment.
http://www.alzheimersupport.com/library/print.cfm?ID=2048

Virtual Cancer Centre - News
Statins and Amnesia: are the Reports of Amnesia with Statins ... to have
experienced
two episodes of amnesia while taking a commonly prescribed statin. ...
http://www.virtualcancercentre.com/pressreleases.asp?artid=6786

[PDF] Statins and memory loss
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Reports of statins and amnesia or memory loss in Australia ... There are
several
case reports of amnesia or memory loss related to statin in the literature.
...
http://www.nps.org.au/resources/content/factsheet_statins_and_memory_loss.pdf

Amnesia & Statins FAQ *LINK*
Frequently Asked Question: Amnesia is one of the Lipitor side effects
reported
... and is working on a book about statin-related memory loss and amnesia
at: ...
http://www.rxlist.com/rxboard/lipitor.pl?noframes;read=4004

The Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin, Summer 2004:Transient ...
I found your recent article [Transient Global Amnesia, by Dr. Rod Friend,
FASMB,
... to statin drugs and transient global amnesia during my research for the
...
http://www.cami.jccbi.gov/aam-400A/FASMB/FAS200402/lte_anderson.htm

Statin-Associated Memory Loss
The more lipid-soluble the statin, the greater propensity it has to cross
the
... Global or partial amnesia was also reported. All but one of the reports
...
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/458867_4

[PDF] Statins and memory loss
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... case reports of amnesia or memory loss related to statin in the
literature.
... loss; statin therapy was continued in 11 patients and the remainder were
...
http://www.dubboplainsdgp.com.au/pdfdocs/statins%20and%20memory%20loss%20_18.11.
04_.pdf

BrainTalk Communities - common drugs...new info...
... can cause amnesia, memory loss has shown up in several statin trials. In
a
trial involving 2502 subjects, amnesia occurred in seven receiving Lipitor;
...
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/24/statin_drugs.htm
While the pharmaceutical industry denies that statins can cause amnesia,
memory loss has shown up in several statin trials. In a trial involving
2,502 subjects, amnesia occurred in seven receiving Lipitor; amnesia also
occurred in two of 742 subjects during comparative trials with other
statins. In addition, "abnormal thinking" was reported in four of the 2,502
clinical trial subjects.24 The total recorded side effects was therefore 0.5
percent; a figure that likely under-represents the true frequency since
memory loss was not specifically studied in these trials.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=1
2885101&dopt=Abstract
http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-88838.html

This is article number 51. Total number of articles in current ...
CHOLESTEROL SKEPTICS AND THE BAD NEWS ABOUT STATIN DRUGS ... Another
unacknowledged
risk associated with statin drugs: Transient global amnesia (TGA): ...
http://www.drugawareness.org/Archives/3rdQtr_2003/record0051.html

bad_news_statins
"Patients are reluctant to report amnesia, or they attribute the symptoms to
old
age or early ... CHOLESTEROL SKEPTICS AND THE BAD NEWS ABOUT STATIN DRUGS
...
http://homodiet.netfirms.com/otherssay/letters/bad_news-statins.htm

[PDF] Table of Contents Statins: Did Your Doctor Tell You . . . ?
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
being on a statin drug. But amnesia is only the tip of the iceberg. ...
possibility of, for instance, statin-induced global amnesia or severe
polyneuropathy ...
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/statin.pdf

Try also a Google for:
65,100 for statin memory loss. (0.80 seconds)
43,100 for statin dementia. (0.59 seconds)
111,000 for statin adverse. (0.32 seconds)

(those pharmco bots must be quite busy)

> Here is the abstract of the paper generating the noise:
>
[quoted text clipped - 166 lines]
>
> ================

Reply to this Message

Sbharris[atsign]ix.netcom.com - 24 Jul 2005 07:19 GMT

> There are three books out that discuss statin-caused dementia:
> Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol,
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Graveline, MD
> http://www.firmprice.com/spacedoc/

COMMENT:

Sigh. Never confuse popular book writing for science. Here are 6 books
on eating and living right for your blood type:

Here are 6 books on eating and living right for your blood type:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/039914255X/0/1
01/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/104-2199369-6936726

Here are a number of books on crystal healing:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/0713726776/0/1
01/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/104-2199369-6936726

COMMENT: get the point?

> There are more published studies on statins and dementia:
> AMNESIA & STATINS
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> www.health.gov.au/tga/docs/pdf/aadrbltn/aadr9808.pdf

COMMENT:
Sorry but that link does not work for me. Have you tried it lately?

> MEMORY LOSS & STATINS
> Frequently Asked Question: What medical research studies have
> been done on Statins and Memory Loss, or other mental
> problems that I can bring to my doctor's attention?

> Am J Med. 2004 Dec 1;117(11):823-9.
>> Randomized trial of the effects of simvastatin on cognitive functioning in
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> only 6 months, using Neuropsych testing. Further, the cognitive deficits appear
> consistently in specific areas.

COMMENT
Wrong! You are absolutely misquoting the papers, which say no such
thing (full abstracts appended). There is no measurable decline in
scores in any statin group. What happens is that the scores don't
improve as much as the placebo groups.

Furthermore, the differentials are so small that the researchers needed
neuropsych tests and a control group to find them (nobody claimed that
interfered with functional activities to any noticeable extent, and
Muldoon makes that very point). Nor have they been repeated and
confirmed by any other groups.

> Golomb BA, Yang E, Denenberg J, Criqui M (2003),
> > Statin-associated adverse events. P95. Presented at the 43rd Annual
> Conference on
> > Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. Miami; March 5-8.

Unpublished.

Muldoon MF, Ryan CM, Flory JD, Manuck SB (2002),

> Effects of simvastatin on cognitive functioning.
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> decrease in
> > cognitive function.

COMMENT:
Nope. That's not what he published, and the abstract of the paper is
below. You are misreporting.

> Am J Med. 2000 May;108(7):538-46.
> PMID: 10806282 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1

> 0806282&dopt=Abstract
> Cognitive impairment associated with atorvastatin and simvastatin.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> aware of cognitive impairment and dementia as potential adverse effects associated
> with statin therapy." PMID: 14695047

COMMENT:
Hello? This is TWO people. It means NOTHING.

> Statin-associated memory loss: analysis of 60 case reports and review of the
> literature.
> Wagstaff LR, Mitton MW, Arvik BM, Doraiswamy PM.
> Drug Information Service, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North
> Carolina

COMMENT:
Again, meaningless without controls. People do suffer memory loss
without the help of statins, you know. Try visiting a nursing home.

> The Role of Lipid-Lowering Drugs in Cognitive Function: A Meta-Analysis of
> Observational Studies
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> authors left out the pivotal study by Dr. Muldoon, that showed nearly 100%
> of statin users had a measurable loss of cognitive ability after 6 months,

COMMENT:

The Muldoon study shows no such thing.

>>while 100% of the placebo group improved their scores

COMMENT:
Again, no such thing was seen. Many did, not all. The group
differences were small, and although stasticially significant, they
were clinically insiginficant. As Muldoon says: "Treatment of
hypercholesterolemia with
lovastatin did not cause psychological distress or substantially alter
cognitive function." That's clear enough, is it not?

> Simvastatin-Associated Memory Loss
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> receiving > simvastatin for hypercholesterolemia. His therapy was switched to
> pravastatin, and > memory loss resolved gradually over the next month, with no recurrence of

the adverse effect. from Pharmacotherapy

> Posted 06/01/2001

COMMENT:
One guy. Out of how many thousands? And how can we be sure the
statins had anything to do with it?
It got better? Lots of things just get better. Let me clue you.

> Page 1 of 3:
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> EDITORS

Michelle W. McCarthy, Pharm.D.
Anne E. Hendrick, Pharm.D.
University of Virginia Health System

> Department of Pharmacy Services
> Drug Information Center
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> to say. The drug was discontinued, replaced by pravastatin, and within one month his
> memory returned.14

COMMENT:
This is the *same guy.* How is YOUR memory?

> In a separate case, a 67-year-old woman developed impaired
> short-term memory, altered mood, social impairment, cognitive impairment and dementia after one > year of atorvastatin therapy. When atorvastatin was discontinued, her memory, mood and > cognition improved completely.15 Memory impairment in a patient receiving atorvastatin
> has been reported to the BC Regional ADR Centre.

COMMENT:
So? I'm not denying that it could not happen, but if it does, it's
RARE. Do you understand the meaning of RARE? Without a control group,
and control rates for these complaints, we cannot even tell if it's
*real.*

> Google search for the terms: "statin amnesia" and you will get at least
> 18,400 hits for
> "amnesia statin" in about 0.09 seconds

COMMENTS
Google search for the term "alien abduction" and you will get at least
699,000 hits in 0.15 seconds. And I'd be embarrassed to quote most of
them to you, because most of them are dead serious. SO WHAT?

> BrainTalk Communities - common drugs...new info...
> ... can cause amnesia, memory loss has shown up in several statin trials. In
> a
> trial involving 2502 subjects, amnesia occurred in seven receiving Lipitor;
> ...
> http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/24/statin_drugs.htm

COMMENT: Mercola's source is: (get this) Lopena OF. Pharm D, Pfizer,
Inc., written communication, 2002. Quoted in an email communication
from Duane Graveline, spacedoc@webtv.net

So this would be your quote of a webpage quoting an email quoting a
private letter from two employees at a drug company, eh? That's
breathtaking documentation. Of that maybe one person in 357 who may get
this side effect. But what does it mean without the placebo rates?
Nothing. These are people at high risk for vascular events.

> While the pharmaceutical industry denies that statins can cause amnesia,
> memory loss has shown up in several statin trials. In a trial involving
> 2,502 subjects, amnesia occurred in seven receiving Lipitor; amnesia also
> occurred in two of 742 subjects during comparative trials with other
> statins. In addition, "abnormal thinking" was reported in four of the 2,502
> clinical trial subjects.24

COMMENT:
This is the same "source" as the above. And has the same caveats.

Here are the Muldoon abstracts, with what he actually reports (emphasis
mine***), and my comments.

1: Am J Med. 2004 Dec 1;117(11):823-9.

Randomized trial of the effects of simvastatin on cognitive functioning
in
hypercholesterolemic adults.

Muldoon MF, Ryan CM, Sereika SM, Flory JD, Manuck SB.

Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania 15260,
USA. mfm10@pitt.edu

PURPOSE: In our initial study of the potential effects of
cholesterol-lowering
interventions on cognitive functioning, treatment with lovastatin as
compared
with placebo caused performance decrements on several
neuropsychological tests,
whereas scores on other tests were unaffected. The current study was
designed to
confirm and extend those findings. METHODS: The study comprised 308
hypercholesterolemic adults between 35 and 70 years of age. Employing a
randomized double-blind design, we assigned participants to daily
treatment with
placebo, 10 mg of simvastatin, or 40 mg of simvastatin for 6 months. A
neuropsychological test battery was administered to assess cognitive
functioning
at baseline and at the end of the treatment period. RESULTS: A total of
283
subjects completed the study: 94 subjects on placebo, 96 taking 10 mg
of
simvastatin, and 93 taking 40 mg of simvastatin. Compared with placebo,
decremental effects of simvastatin treatment were found on tests
previously
observed to be sensitive to statins (P = 0.008; difference in summary z
scores =
0.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07 to 0.29) and on tests not
previously
administered (P = 0.04; difference in summary z scores = 0.17; 95% CI:
0.05 to
0.29), but not on tests previously observed to be insensitive to
statins (P =
0.84; difference in summary z scores = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.07 to 0.10)

***. For the
three tests specifically affected by simvastatin, effects on cognitive
performance were small, manifest only as failure to improve during the
6 months
of treatment (compared with placebo), and were confounded by baseline
differences on one test.****

Sharon, read the above until you undersstand it.

CONCLUSION: This study provides partial support for
minor decrements in cognitive functioning with statins. Whether such
effects
have any long-term sequelae or occur with other cholesterol-lowering
interventions is not known.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial

PMID: 15589485 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

2: Am J Med. 2000 May;108(7):538-46.

Effects of lovastatin on cognitive function and psychological
well-being.

Muldoon MF, Barger SD, Ryan CM, Flory JD, Lehoczky JP, Matthews KA,
Manuck SB.

Center for Clinical Pharmacology (MFM), University of Pittsburgh School
of
Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

PURPOSE: Animal research and cross-sectional studies suggest that serum
lipid
concentrations may influence cognitive function, mood, and behavior,
but few
clinical trials have studied these effects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In
this
double-blind investigation, 209 generally healthy adults with a serum
low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level of 160 mg/dL or higher
were
randomly assigned to 6-month treatment with lovastatin (20 mg) or
placebo.
Assessments of neuropsychological performance, depression, hostility,
and
quality of life were conducted at baseline and at the end of the
treatment
period. Summary effect sizes were estimated as z scores on a standard
deviation
(SD) scale.

**RESULTS: Placebo-treated subjects improved between baseline and
posttreatment periods on neuropsychological tests in all five
performance
domains, consistent with the effects of practice on test performance
(all P
<0.04), whereas those treated with lovastatin improved only on tests of
memory
recall (P = 0.03). Comparisons of the changes in performance between
placebo-
and lovastatin-treated subjects revealed small, but statistically
significant,
differences for tests of attention (z score = 0.18; 95% confidence
interval
(CI), 0.06 to 0.31; P = 0.005) and psychomotor speed (z score = 0.17;
95% CI,
0.05 to 0.28; P = 0. 004) that were consistent with greater improvement
in the
placebo group.**

COMMENT:

Improvements were greater in the placebo group. Nobody did
statistically worse, despite what you keep saying. You can't become
demented unless your test scores fall, you know. Do you understand
that idea?

Muldoon continues:

Psychological well-being, as measured several ways, was not
affected by lovastatin.CONCLUSION: Treatment of hypercholesterolemia
with
lovastatin did not cause psychological distress or substantially alter
cognitive
function.

COMMENT;

What does "substantially alter cognitive function." mean to you,
Sharon? It's in English. Why is it that you don't understand it?
Could it be some statin effect?

>>Treatment did result in small performance decrements on

neuropsychological tests of attention and psychomotor speed, the
clinical
importance of which is uncertain.<<

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial

COMMENT:

The clinical importance of which is uncertain to me also.

PMID: 10806282 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

3: Clin Ther. 1999 Oct;21(10):1758-70.

Double-masked comparison of the quality of life of hypercholesterolemic
men
treated with simvastatin or pravastatin. International Quality of Life
Multicenter Group.

Seed M, Weir MR.

Imperial College School of Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital, London,
United
Kingdom.

The efficacy, safety, and impact on quality of life of once-daily
treatment with
simvastatin 20 mg and pravastatin 40 mg were compared in a
multinational,
randomized, double-masked trial involving 387 men 21 to 72 years of age
with
primary mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia. The trial consisted of a
12-week
baseline period, which included 6 weeks of single-masked placebo
administration,
and a 12-week double-masked active treatment period. Throughout the
trial,
patients were maintained on a standard lipid-lowering diet. Efficacy
variables
were plasma lipid levels and a measurement of health-related quality of
life
evaluated by means of a self-administered questionnaire (the Nottingham
Health
Profile [NHP]) and other questionnaires related to general health,
sexual
function, and stress/life events. Clinic visits were scheduled at study
entry
(week -12), at initiation and week 5 of placebo (weeks -6 and -1,
respectively);
at randomization (week 1, day 1); and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of
active
treatment. At each visit, blood samples were collected for
determination of
lipid levels and the NHP, the principal measure of health-related
quality of
life, was administered. Primary safety measures were adverse events and
laboratory test results. All statistical comparisons were two-sided,
and
significance was defined as P< or =0.05 except for the NHP
questionnaire, which
was P< or =0.01. Treatment with simvastatin 20 mg/d for 12 weeks (n =
194)
resulted in significantly greater reductions in plasma total
cholesterol and
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (25.7% and 33.6%,
respectively)
compared with pravastatin 40 mg/d for 12 weeks (n = 193) (19.0% and
26.3%,
respectively) (P<0.001). No detrimental effects on health-related
quality-of-life measurements were reported with either drug. A small
but
statistically significant improvement in emotional reaction from
baseline
(P<0.001) was observed after 12 weeks of treatment with simvastatin. At
least
75% of simvastatin-treated patients indicated no change in response
from
baseline on NHP domain scores; these findings were similar to those for
pravastatin-treated patients. The differences in the changes in lipid
profiles
between the 2 treatment groups were not associated with any observed
differences
in tolerability or health-related quality-of-life measures.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Multicenter Study
Randomized Controlled Trial

PMID: 10566571 [PubMed - indexed for ME

COMMENT

I just thought I'd throw this one in. If you read it carefully, you'll
see that the simvastatin treated patients reported a small but
statistical improvement in subjective assessment of health-related
quality of life. Even though this is a double blind study and neither
the patients nor doctors knew who was getting drug and who was getting
placebo. How about that.

SBH

Reply to this Message

Jim Chinnis - 24 Jul 2005 16:12 GMT

"Sbharris[atsign]ix.netcom.com" <sbharris@ix.netcom.com> wrote in
part:

>Muldoon MF, Ryan CM, Flory JD, Manuck SB (2002),
>> Effects of simvastatin on cognitive functioning.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>Nope. That's not what he published, and the abstract of the paper is
>below. You are misreporting.

I've carefully reviewed the subject paper and written about it
here previously in response to Ms. Hope's mischaracterization of
the findings. Yet her misreporting goes on and on like the
Energizer Bunny.
--
Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA

Reply to this Message

Sharon Hope - 24 Jul 2005 16:56 GMT

>> There are three books out that discuss statin-caused dementia:
>> Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>
> COMMENT: get the point?

Yes, the point is you are intentionally obfuscating a point that you are
uncomfortable with - Statin drugs cause AMNESIA at a staggeringly
disproportional rate.

The authors of the books you list in your pathetic attempt at misdirection
do not have the letters "M.D." following their names. The books you site do
NOT address statin-induced AMNESIA.

The three books that address statin-induced AMNESIA are all by physicians,
and they have earned the "M.D." following their names.

Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol,
by Duane Graveline, *****M.D.*****

What You Must Know About Statin Drugs & Their Natural Alternatives, by Jay
S. Cohen, *****M.D.*****

Statin Drugs - Side Effects and The Misguided War on Cholesterol, by Duane
Graveline, *****M.D.*****

>> There are more published studies on statins and dementia:
>> AMNESIA & STATINS
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> COMMENT:
> Sorry but that link does not work for me. Have you tried it lately?

Should have visited it earlier.

>> MEMORY LOSS & STATINS
>> Frequently Asked Question: What medical research studies have
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> scores in any statin group. What happens is that the scores don't
> improve as much as the placebo groups.

Wrong. Some scores declined, in others there was a failure to thrive. The
statin users simply could not continue to learn at a normal rate. THAT IS
A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

No parent I know is happy when their child leaves high school reading at the
3rd grade level, despite your observation that he began school reading below
the 1st grade level.

That is an example of the failure to thrive. THAT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

In some scores, the statin users learned NOTHING in the 6 months while on
statins.

If you were an employer and you hired two equally qualified people for a
particular job. After 6 months, one had learned how to do the job specific
to your company and the other, the person who was taking statins, had
learned no more about the job than he knew the day he was hired.

Which one would you keep?

Which one would any competent business owner keep?

THAT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

> Furthermore, the differentials are so small that the researchers needed
> neuropsych tests and a control group to find them (nobody claimed that
> interfered with functional activities to any noticeable extent, and
> Muldoon makes that very point). Nor have they been repeated and
> confirmed by any other groups.

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE.

This study was done 3 times, each time placebo controlled, and IN ALL THREE
STUDIES THE STATIN GROUP EITHER LOST COGNITIVE ABILITY OR FAILED TO LEARN AT
A NORMAL RATE.

The study was conducted placebo-controlled with two different statins and
the same results were achieved.

The study was conducted placebo-controlled with different statin dosages and
the same results were achieved.

EACH OF THE THREE STUDIES FOUND MEASURABLE COGNITIVE DECLINE IN THE STATIN
GROUPS AFTER ONLY SIX MONTHS OF TREATMENT.

STATINS ARE MARKETED AS A LIFE-LONG TREATMENT.

What kind of continued decline can we expect when the treatement extends
BEYOND SIX MONTHS? My husband is one example. 4 years of Lipitor 10mg/day
left this mid-50's corporate CEO (twice) with MULTIPLE WITNESSED EPISODES OF
TRANSIENT GLOBAL AMNESIA AND SHORT-TERM MEMORY MEASURED AT BELOW THE 1
PERCENTILE.

>> Golomb BA, Yang E, Denenberg J, Criqui M (2003),
>> > Statin-associated adverse events. P95. Presented at the 43rd Annual
>> Conference on
>> > Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. Miami; March 5-8.
>
> Unpublished.

PUBLIC PRESENTATION IS PUBLICATION.

> Muldoon MF, Ryan CM, Flory JD, Manuck SB (2002),
>> Effects of simvastatin on cognitive functioning.
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Nope. That's not what he published, and the abstract of the paper is
> below. You are misreporting.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE STUDY. THE ABSTRACT IS INCOMPLETE AND
NON-REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DETAILS OF THE FINDINGS.

>> Am J Med. 2000 May;108(7):538-46.
>> PMID: 10806282 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> COMMENT:
> Hello? This is TWO people. It means NOTHING.

IT MEANS A LOT TO THE TWO PEOPLE.

FURTHER, IT IS PART OF A STUDY OF 60 CASE REPORTS.

>> Statin-associated memory loss: analysis of 60 case reports and review of
>> the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Again, meaningless without controls. People do suffer memory loss
> without the help of statins, you know. Try visiting a nursing home.

YOU ARE WHISTLING IN THE DARK. YOU CAN PICK AND MOAN AT ONE OR TWO ITEMS
ALL YOU WANT. THE EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING AND OBVIOUS.

LIPITOR LISTS AMNESIA ON THE LABEL!!!!!!!! GO PICK AND MOAN TO PFIZER.

>> The Role of Lipid-Lowering Drugs in Cognitive Function: A Meta-Analysis
>> of
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> The Muldoon study shows no such thing.

YOU ARE SIMPLY WRONG.

>>>while 100% of the placebo group improved their scores
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> lovastatin did not cause psychological distress or substantially alter
> cognitive function." That's clear enough, is it not?

LOOK AT THE TABLE WITH THE NUMBERS.

LOOK AT THE CLEAR EVIDENCE OF LOSS OF COGNITIVE ABILITY IN THE STAIN GROUP.

LOOK AT THE CLEAR EVIDENCE OF FAILURE TO LEARN AT A NORMAL RATE IN THE
STATIN GROUP.

LOOK AT THE TERM OF THE STUDY - IF IN ONLY 6 MONTHS THE COGNITIVE DAMAGE IS
MEASURABLE RELIABLY AND REPEATEDLY IN MULTIPLE STUDIES, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER
2, 4, 6, 10, 30 YEARS OF STATIN USE?

>> Simvastatin-Associated Memory Loss
>>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> statins had anything to do with it?
> It got better? Lots of things just get better. Let me clue you.

QUITE OBVIOUSLY THE IMPROVEMENT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT SERVES TO EXCLUDE
SEVERAL OTHER CAUSES OF DEMENTIA.

>> Page 1 of 3:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 54 lines]
> and control rates for these complaints, we cannot even tell if it's
> *real.*

AMNESIA IN THE NORMAL POPULATION IS RARE.

AMNESIA OCCURS OVER 38,000% MORE FREQUENTLY AMONG STATIN USERS.

THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BY ANY STANDARDS.

STATINS ARE THE MOST PRESCRIBED OF ALL DRUGS IN THE WORLD.

STATINS ARE THE MOST PRESCRIBED OF ALL DRUGS IN HISTORY.

>> Google search for the terms: "statin amnesia" and you will get at least
>> 18,400 hits for
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> 699,000 hits in 0.15 seconds. And I'd be embarrassed to quote most of
> them to you, because most of them are dead serious. SO WHAT?

SO YOU ARE SO OBVIOUSLY UNINFORMED ABOUT STATIN AMNESIA, YOU SHOULD READ
SOME OF THE HITS.

IF YOU ARE MORE INTERESTED IN ALIEN ABDUCTION AND CRYSTAL HEALING, WHICH
SEEMS EVIDENT, THEN GO COMMENT ON THOSE AS AN EXPERT.

YOUR UNINFORMED COMMENTS ON STATIN AMNESIA ARE JUST THAT - UNINFORMED.

>> BrainTalk Communities - common drugs...new info...
>> ... can cause amnesia, memory loss has shown up in several statin trials.
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> this side effect. But what does it mean without the placebo rates?
> Nothing. These are people at high risk for vascular events.

ONE PERSON IN 357 IS SIGNIFICANT.

PARTICULARLY IF THE NORM IS 5 IN 100,000 PEOPLE.

THAT IS A 28 TO 1 RATIO, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT

THAT CONSTITUTES A RATE OF:

.28% VS .01%

>> While the pharmaceutical industry denies that statins can cause amnesia,
>> memory loss has shown up in several statin trials. In a trial involving
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Here are the Muldoon abstracts, with what he actually reports (emphasis
> mine***), and my comments.

READ THE STUDIES - THE RESULTS ARE CLEAR

> 1: Am J Med. 2004 Dec 1;117(11):823-9.
>
[quoted text clipped - 237 lines]
>
> SBH

Reply to this Message

Bill - 25 Jul 2005 05:13 GMT

Sharon, first I am really having a tough time understanding what your position
is. For example, you state below that the following 3 books discuss
statin-caused amnesia. I am sure that is true. But it really does not say
anything about what the point is. All or some could conclude that significant
amnesia is rare.

I think what you are saying is that statin induced amnesia is significant
(i.e. at least somewhat comparable to TGA) and occurs at a rate of at least
something like 2%.

Is the above true or untrue? If untrue, could you please clarify what your
position is on this.

Second, you given many references but when I try to follow them I find them
not there, unreliable (someone's opinion), or contradictory to your position.
Could you give the two best references that support your point of view and
give a brief explanation on how they apply.

Thanks.

Bill

>>> There are three books out that discuss statin-caused dementia:
>>> Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on
[quoted text clipped - 668 lines]
>>
>> SBH

Reply to this Message

Sbharris[atsign]ix.netcom.com - 26 Jul 2005 00:18 GMT

> > COMMENT: get the point?
>
> Yes, the point is you are intentionally obfuscating a point that you are
> uncomfortable with - Statin drugs cause AMNESIA at a staggeringly
> disproportional rate.

COMMENT:

No, there's no way to tell what the rate is, because there are no
reports of amnesia rates and placebo rates from controlled studies.
Thus ratios cannot be calculated. "Disproportional" is a word that
cannot be used. If the rate is 7 in 2502 people (the Lipitor approval
trial), then that's 0.28% (not 2%), and we still need to know then what
was the rate in the placebo group in that trial? We don't.

> The authors of the books you list in your pathetic attempt at misdirection
> do not have the letters "M.D." following their names.

COMMENT:

Hey, if crazy books by M.D.'s turn you on, read any book by Lorraine
Day, M.D. If you thought M.D.s were infallible we wouldn't be having
this conversation, would we?

> The books you site do
> NOT address statin-induced AMNESIA.

COMMENT:
So? There are a lot of causes of amnesia. It's one of the 7 screening
signs of somatization disorder (know what that is?). It's a reported
side effect of both smallpox and anthrax vaccines (somehow, only
vaccines used in Gulf War Vets cause global amnesia).

> The three books that address statin-induced AMNESIA are all by physicians,
> and they have earned the "M.D." following their names.

COMMENT: There are 2 books by the same guy here (the former astronaut
Graveline). And they can "address" the problem all these like-- there
is still no good scientific evidence.

> >> "This study provides partial support for minor decrements in cognitive
> >> functioning with
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> statin users simply could not continue to learn at a normal rate. THAT IS
> A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

COMMENT:

It is not a serious problem. The amount here was a "minor decrement",
as the author
of the study said. So minor it had to identified statistically. You
might get something far
worse from taking an antihistamine.

> No parent I know is happy when their child leaves high school reading at the
> 3rd grade level, despite your observation that he began school reading below
> the 1st grade level.

COMMENT: That wouldn't be a minor decrement, now would it? If would
show up on testing even *without* a control group, wouldn't it? A 2
year developmental delay would stand out like a red light, wouldn't it?

> In some scores, the statin users learned NOTHING in the 6 months while on
> statins.

COMMENT:
No. The fact that they didn't improve their scores on some aspects of
the same test 6 months later hardly means they "learned nothing." If
just means they didn't improve their scores in a few areas. If any of
them had had global amnesia of the kind which has been blamed on
Lipitor, they couldn't that taken these tests at all, because they
wouldn't have been able to remember their own names, let alone the
detailed personal information necessary to participate in a clinical
trial and take a neuropsych performance test. Get real.

> If you were an employer and you hired two equally qualified people for a
> particular job. After 6 months, one had learned how to do the job specific
> to your company and the other, the person who was taking statins, had
> learned no more about the job than he knew the day he was hired.
>
> Which one would you keep?

COMMENT:

This was not 6 months of training. It was two tests taken 6 months
apart. The only "training" was having taken the test before, 6 months
ago. It's not clinically significant. Furthermore, it wasn't a global
problem, but showed up only on performance areas related to attention.
It could equally well have been due to statin users being more relaxed,
and the self assessment well-being profiles of these very people, in
the same study, actually suggested *exactly that.* So?

> THAT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> STUDIES THE STATIN GROUP EITHER LOST COGNITIVE ABILITY OR FAILED TO LEARN AT
> A NORMAL RATE.

COMMENT:
It was done 3 times by the SAME group of researchers. It's a small
effect. It has not been *independently* confirmed (that means by other
scientists-- science is not "confirmed" by the same guys getting the
same results each time).

> EACH OF THE THREE STUDIES FOUND MEASURABLE COGNITIVE DECLINE IN THE STATIN
> GROUPS AFTER ONLY SIX MONTHS OF TREATMENT.

COMMENT:
No, there was no cognitive decline. Cognitive declines are measured by
test performance declines. And to be robust, they had better be BIG
declines. Otherwise you don't know if they're not just due to the guy
taking a drug that relaxes him.

> STATINS ARE MARKETED AS A LIFE-LONG TREATMENT.
>
> What kind of continued decline can we expect when the treatement extends
> BEYOND SIX MONTHS?

COMMENT:

None! And you shouldn't either, especially given the fact that I think
it was you who suggested that lack of cognitive decline in the 3 year
PROSPER study could have been explained by a 6 week run-in, in which
everybody who was going to have severe statin effects washed out in
just 6 weeks, then the rest had no problem after that. I would say the
chance of having a terribly mild effect at 6 months and then have it
keep going into full dementia at 3 years, is pretty unlikely, in that
case, wouldn't you?

> My husband is one example. 4 years of Lipitor 10mg/day
> left this mid-50's corporate CEO (twice) with MULTIPLE WITNESSED EPISODES OF
> TRANSIENT GLOBAL AMNESIA AND SHORT-TERM MEMORY MEASURED AT BELOW THE 1
> PERCENTILE.

COMMENT:
Your husband is an anomaly, and if I read the net correctly, is
apparently becoming one of the sacred Stations of the Cross for
reporters and believers to visit, in their Calvary Statin Via Dolorosa
Pilgramage. Along with Golomb. So?

I'm not arguing it's impossible. Just very unlikely. Out of million of
people taking these drug, you can still do no better than to find me a
couple of trials of people who weren't paying attention enough to
better their previous scores, and some uncontrolled reports of 60 odd
case reports, many of which resolved, and at least one of them got
better enough afterword to write a book about it. Sorry, but I'm not
impressed. On the other side of it, are several large controlled trials
which found NO adverse statin effect on cognition, even though it was
looked for. PROSPER is one of them, and we've just discussed another
(the neuro arm of the CHS study, analyzed by Rea). The large signal IS
SIMPLY NOT THERE.

If you're married to one of the few guys whose life was destroyed by
statins, then you have my sympathy, but there are thousands of people
whose lives have been destroyed by aspirin. And not a few by accidents
with barbecue grills. And stepladders. And combinations of too much
beer and trying to do nearly anything complicated around the house.
These are horrible, but they don't really justify giant public
campaigns. Life is risky. A lot of very tiny risks that exist in life
means that over hundreds of millions of people, you're going to have
hundreds or even thousands who die every year in ridiculous and
freakish ways, like having a car come though your house wall, or being
struck by lightening in circumstances which really didn't warrent
special attention.

I'm sorry your husband was struck by lightening in some kind of way.
But, frankly, I'm tired of reading about him and this astronaut guy all
over the net. If this statin-induced brain destructionis a true global
pandemic, you ought to be able to recruit a lot most poster-children.
Sort of like MADD did (and does).

SBH

Reply to this Message

Dave - 26 Jul 2005 00:15 GMT

>>There are three books out that discuss statin-caused dementia:
>>Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol,
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/0713726776/0/1
01/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/104-2199369-6936726

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Further reading reveals that the numerous health benefits from crystals
is a result of their "magic properties". And you probably didn't think
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<snip>

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