Many people take medicine to lower their cholesterol as they get older because high cholesterol can quietly build up inside blood vessels.
Over time, this can increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious health problems. Cholesterol-lowering medicines have helped millions of people reduce these risks and live longer, healthier lives.
The most common cholesterol medicines are called statins, including well-known drugs such as Lipitor and Crestor. These medicines lower the amount of cholesterol the body makes, helping keep blood flowing more easily through the arteries.
For people whose cholesterol remains high, doctors may also prescribe newer medicines called PCSK9 inhibitors, which help the body remove more cholesterol from the bloodstream.
Although these medicines are very effective, scientists continue to study whether they have other effects on the body. A new study led by Kitty Pham, a Ph.D. student at the University of South Australia, explored this question using large sets of genetic data. The research was published in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
Genetic information acts like the body’s instruction book. By studying it, researchers can estimate how certain medicines might influence different parts of the body without waiting decades for long-term studies. This approach can provide valuable clues, although it does not prove that a medicine directly causes every effect that is found.
The researchers discovered that statins may be linked with changes in body weight and body fat in some people. They believe this could be connected to changes in hormone levels, especially testosterone. Testosterone is important for both men and women because it helps support muscle strength, energy, and general wellbeing.
The study also found a possible benefit that surprised the researchers. People with genetic patterns similar to the effects of statins appeared to have a larger hippocampus, an area of the brain that plays a key role in learning, memory, and emotions.
A healthier hippocampus has been linked with a lower risk of problems such as depression and dementia, but more studies are needed before scientists know whether statins truly provide this benefit.
The researchers also examined PCSK9 inhibitors. Their findings suggested these newer medicines could have an effect on lung function, although it is still too early to know whether the change is helpful, harmful, or simply a small difference with little real-world impact. More research will be needed before doctors can draw firm conclusions.
The findings do not mean people should stop taking their cholesterol medicine. These treatments remain one of the best ways to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Anyone who notices changes such as weight gain, lower energy, or breathing problems should speak with their doctor instead of stopping their medicine on their own.
This research reminds us that medicines can affect many parts of the body, not just the condition they are designed to treat.
By learning more about these effects, scientists hope to make treatments even safer and more personal in the future. As more studies are completed, doctors will have better information to help patients choose the most suitable treatment for their health needs.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease, and coconut sugar could help reduce artery stiffness.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Vitamin D deficiency can increase heart disease risk, and results showing vitamin B6 linked to lower death risk in heart disease.
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