Long-Term Use of Statins Leads to Depression
Study says long-term intake of anti-cholesterol drugs called statins increase the risk of anxiety and major depression in patients.
Scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have revealed that long-term intake of anti-cholesterol drugs called statins increase the risk of anxiety and major depression in patients.
The study, led by Amitabha Chattopadhyay, also revealed that such patients could have increased suicidal tendencies.
The researchers assessed the effect of statins on serotonin receptors in animal models before arriving at this conclusion.
"The novel results of our study represent the first report describing the effect of long-term cholesterol depletion on this type of neurotransmitter receptor and suggest that chronic, low cholesterol levels in the brain may trigger anxiety and depression," Chattopadhyay said a press conference at Hyderabad.
The details of the study appear in the journal Biochemistry, which is published by the American Chemical Society.
Source: Medindia