Doctors often give people medicine to lower their cholesterol in order to prevent serious health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, especially as they get older.
These medicines usually work well to control cholesterol, but new research is showing that they may have some side effects we didn’t fully understand before.
One of the most common types of cholesterol-lowering drugs is called statins. Some popular brands of statins include Lipitor and Crestor. Statins work by slowing down how much cholesterol the body makes.
There is also another type of drug called PCSK9 inhibitors. These drugs help the body clear out extra cholesterol from the blood.
Recently, scientists have started finding some surprising effects of these drugs. For example, PCSK9 inhibitors may affect the lungs. People taking these drugs may have breathing issues, so researchers believe more studies are needed to understand how these drugs affect the lungs in the long run.
Statins also seem to have unexpected effects. Some people who take statins may gain weight or gain body fat. There is also evidence that statins may lower testosterone levels, a hormone important for both men and women’s health.
But not all the news is bad. The same studies also found that statins may actually help the brain. Statins appear to increase the size of a part of the brain called the hippocampus. This area of the brain helps with memory and emotions. A bigger hippocampus may help lower the risk of memory problems like dementia and mood problems like depression.
These findings come from a study led by Kitty Pham, a researcher at the University of South Australia. Her team used genetic information to study how these drugs affect different people. By using genetics, researchers can predict how people with certain genetic traits might respond to medicine.
This is helpful because regular drug studies can take a long time and cost a lot of money, especially when looking at long-term effects. Genetic studies offer a quicker way to learn more about how drugs work in the body.
It’s very important to remember that even though these new findings are interesting, they don’t mean people should stop taking their medicine. Cholesterol drugs are helpful and can save lives when used correctly. But they should always be taken with a doctor’s advice.
If you are taking statins and notice weight gain or other changes, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. The same goes for people taking PCSK9 inhibitors who might notice problems with breathing. These side effects may not happen to everyone, but talking to a doctor can help you stay safe and healthy.
As scientists keep studying these drugs, they are learning more about how they work and how they affect the body. This helps doctors make better decisions and helps patients understand their medicine better.
The study mentioned in this article was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and reminds us that medicine is always changing as we learn more.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about top 10 foods for a healthy heart, and how to eat right for heart rhythm disorders.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to eat your way to cleaner arteries, and salt and heart health: does less really mean more?
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
