Statins Have Many Benefits
Patients with mood disorders and elevated lipids, cholesterol, or triglycerides can get several benefits by taking statin drugs. Patients with depression are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke, and statins can lower these risks. Statins lower cholesterol and triglycerides.
Compared to women not taking statins, women taking this class of medications have a lower risk of depression. Men taking statins have a lower incidence of depression following a heart attack than men who are not taking statins.
Several studies over the past two decades have suggested that statins can also decrease the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, though a 2017 article by Julie M. Zissimopoulos and colleagues in the journal JAMA Neurology suggested the effectiveness of statins in preventing Alzheimer’s may depend on the race and gender of the person taking them. People with depression are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s.
Editor’s Note: Given these many benefits, it may be a good idea for patients with depression or bipolar disorder and high lipid levels to talk to their physician about whether statins would be a helpful treatment for them.
