Latest news with #Statins
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts Reveal 6 Surprising Reasons You Keep Forgetting Things
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Forgetfulness is a normal, albeit frustrating, part of life. It's natural to misplace your phone, open your fridge and forget why, or fail to remember that name that's right on the tip of your tongue. When these blips occur every now and then, they're usually no big deal. But when they start happening more frequently, it's hard not to wonder what might be causing your memory loss. Could age be the reason you keep forgetting things? As you get older, your brain starts to shrink, explains Elise Caccappolo, Ph.D., neuropsychologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. 'This is why it may take a minute longer to come up with a name or a word, or it may take longer to solve a problem,' she says. And your short-term memory may not be as sharp as it once was, adds P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D., psychiatry professor at Duke University School of Medicine. But getting older isn't necessarily to blame for your brain fog. Distractions, infections, and juggling life's many responsibilities can all play a role. 'I have misplaced or lost a fair number of sunglasses throughout my life just because I have been distracted,' says Thomas Holland, M.D., physician scientist at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging. And the causes don't stop there. Here are six reasons experts say your memory might be waning—all of which go beyond the usual suspects, like age. Medications Many common medications can affect your memory. And if you combine medications, they can interact with each other, causing unexpected side effects. 'Tell your provider everything you take, even if it's over-the-counter or a supplement you think is harmless,' says Brenna Renn, Ph.D., assistant psychology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. If your meds are affecting your memory, your doctor can potentially suggest alternatives or help you weigh their side effects and benefits. Some drugs that may impact your memory include: Benzodiazepines: Prescribed for anxiety and seizures, meds such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium can affect your short-term and long-term memory, per a 2023 review. Statins: Used to control cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, Statins may cause confusion and memory loss, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Anti-seizure medications: Drugs that manage seizures, like gabapentin and pregabalin, may increase your risk of dementia, per a 2023 review. Beta blockers: Beta blockers, which lower your blood pressure, are prescribed for several heart conditions. Some research has linked them to cognitive decline, though more recent research has suggested otherwise. Antidepressants: Some studies suggest that tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can increase your risk of dementia. But a 2019 review found mixed results—and pointed out that depression itself is linked to dementia. Opioids: Many risks of taking narcotics, like OxyContin, are well established. Using them long-term can also interfere with memory, per a 2019 study. Sleeping pills: A certain class of sleep aids, including Ambien and Lunesta, may cause memory loss, per the Mayo Clinic and American Addiction Centers. Depression or anxiety Depression and anxiety are two of the biggest causes of forgetfulness for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, says Caccappolo. 'Depression takes up a lot of real estate in your brain,' she explains. 'When you're depressed, your brain is not working at 100%. It's not paying attention to things as well as it usually does, and the memory areas are not doing what they usually do.' This can impact your ability to store and recall information, and Dr. Holland says anxiety can too. 'If you're constantly under stress, your body is always in a state of readiness, dumping hormones into your blood that can keep you on edge,' he says. 'If that's happening in the brain, we're potentially going to see declines in cognitive function.' Diet What you eat can have a big influence on your brain, says Dr. Holland. 'If you're eating foods that provide the appropriate nutrients and bioactives, they can help prevent damage to the neurons,' he says. In a study Dr. Holland and his colleagues published, they found that a diet filled with foods rich in flavonoids (like dark leafy greens, teas, and tomatoes) was associated with slower rates of cognitive decline. The reverse is also true: Research has linked ultraprocessed foods (foods packed with artificial sweeteners, colors, and additives) with cognitive decline, suggesting that people with poorer diets have a harder time remembering things and keeping up in conversations. Other research suggests that eating ultraprocessed foods may increase your risk of dementia. Sleep You could be missing out on sleep for a number of reasons, including everyday stressors, like your job or family life, or pesky symptoms, like menopause-induced night sweats. But sleep is crucial for brain health. And over time, exhaustion can add up—depleting your cognitive resources and making it harder to concentrate, learn new things, and create memories, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For men in particular, untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—a condition where you stop breathing in your sleep—can also contribute to brain issues, says Caccappolo. 'They are having multiple hypoxic events each night when they're not getting oxygen to the brain, which can lead to memory problems,' she explains. A review in Sleep Medicine found that many people with OSA have impaired cognitive function, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Trouble hearing An intriguing new line of research suggests a connection between hearing loss and brain health. The idea is that hearing loss can interfere with your ability to process and remember information, because it requires your brain to use more resources just to understand speech. Evidence also suggests that hearing aids can help by making information clearer as it enters the brain. 'Having properly working hearing aids can go a long way toward boosting and preserving someone's cognition,' says Renn. And research backs this up: That same study linked hearing aids with a 19% decreased risk of long-term cognitive decline. Multitasking As Dr. Holland acknowledged earlier, being distracted can impact your ability to focus and remember things. So it should come as no surprise that multitasking can too. A study in Nature suggests that media multitasking—using several devices at once—may be particularly detrimental. It found that media multitaskers often had trouble focusing and recalling information. And that was in young people. For older people, multitasking may be even more detrimental, says Caccappolo. 'As our processing speed gets slower, we're slower overall when it comes to both thinking and moving,' she explains. 'If you're trying to do two or three things at the same time, you're going to be a little bit slower at each one.' You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
The Independent
23-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
One of UK's most prescribed drugs could reduce death rate of common blood cancer
One of the most prescribed drugs in the UK could reduce the risk of dying from blood cancer by more than 60 per cent, a study has revealed. Statins, a cholesterol-lowering medication taken by more than 7million people in the UK, lowers the risk of heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes. But it's also been suggested to reduce the death rates of several cancers, including Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), according to a study published today in the journal Blood Advances. These are both types of slow-growing cancers. CLL starts in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow and is a common form of leukaemia. SLL affects the same type of cells but starts in lymphoid tissues such as the spleen instead of in the blood-forming cells. Researchers analysed data from 1,467 patents with CLL or SLL who participated in four international trials conducted between 2012 and 2019. Each patient was either newly diagnosed, their blood cancer had come back or had not responded to prior treatment. These trials saw patients randomly assigned ibrutinib, a targeted cancer drug, either alone or in combination with other anti-cancer drugs, or to a drug regimen that did not include ibrutinib. A total of 424 patients (29 per cent) were taking a statin at the time they started treatment across the four clinical trials which looked at how long patients lived after starting treatment. They were followed up after five years for overall survival and 22 months for progression-free survival. Researchers discovered that patients who took a statin had a 61 per cent reduced risk of dying from their cancer, a 38 per cent reduction in death of any cause and a 26 per cent reduced risk of disease progression. Researchers adjusted their analysis for variables including each patient's diagnosis, age, sex, weight, disease severity, length of time since their diagnosis, number of co-existing illnesses, use of other medications for heart conditions or high blood pressure, and the specific anti-cancer treatment regimen received. 'Our results highlight a strong link between statin use and improved survival in this patient population,' said the study's principal investigator, Ahmad Abuhelwa, PhD, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice and pharmacotherapeutics at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. He added: 'These findings don't allow us to say for certain that statins directly improve cancer outcomes. 'However, the fact that this association remained strong even after accounting for multiple factors makes it an important area for future research.' As next steps, he recommended conducting laboratory studies to better understand how statins may influence cancer biology, as well as prospective clinical trials in which patients with CLL or SLL are randomly assigned to take a statin or not.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tackling bad cholesterol levels with statins may reduce dementia risk
Cholesterol-busting drugs have been linked to reducing the risk of dementia in a new study. Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, with around seven to eight million people taking them to cut their chance of heart attack and stroke. Now new research suggests they may have more benefits. Experts found that people who have low levels of 'bad' cholesterol in their blood have a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. And use of statins was found to have 'additional protective effects'. Statins are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. LDL cholesterol (LDL- C) is often referred to as 'bad cholesterol' and can cause plaque to build in arteries, leading to cardiovascular disease, which can increase the chance of strokes, heart attacks and death. Are you aged over 40 and haven't had a cholesterol test in the past 5 years? High cholesterol often doesn't have symptoms, but it can increase your risk of heart problems or stroke. Take control of your health and get your cholesterol checked today! 💙#StrokePreventionDay — North East and North Cumbria NHS (@NENC_NHS) January 30, 2025 Researchers from South Korea said their findings 'underscore the crucial role of managing LDL- C in lowering dementia risk'. Experts examined health data on more than 570,000 people in South Korea. The NHS says that people should aim for bad cholesterol levels in the blood to be below 4mmol/L (millimoles per litre). Researchers found that people whose LDL cholesterol levels were below 1.8 mmol/L had a 26% reduced risk of dementia and a 28% reduced risk in Alzheimer's compared to those who have LDL cholesterol levels above 3.4 mmol/L. Statin use appeared to have additional protection against dementia in the presence of low LDL cholesterol levels. Among people with LDL cholesterol levels below 1.8 mmol/L, statin use was linked to a 13% reduction in dementia risk and a 12% decrease in risk of Alzheimer's disease compared with non-users. 'These findings emphasise the importance of targeted LDL- C management as part of dementia prevention strategies, with potential integration into clinical guidelines,' the authors wrote in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 'The results support the use of statin therapy within specific LDL- C ranges for both cardiovascular and cognitive health benefits.' They added: 'This insightful understanding of how statin use interacts with LDL- C levels emphasises the need for personalised statin prescriptions, focusing on achieving LDL- C levels that offer the maximum cognitive benefits.' Commenting on the study, Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'This large study looked at patient records for levels of LDL cholesterol and the risk of dementia, it also examined those patients who were on statins. 'It found that those people with lower LDL levels had a reduced risk of dementia. 'The use of statins seemed to offer a protective effect – even in those who already had cholesterol levels within a lower range. 'However, dementia risk is complex and influenced by many factors. Without a detailed picture of what's going on in the brain we do not know if there is a direct link between lower cholesterol and reduced dementia risk. Clinical trials will be key to understand what effects statins might be having on disease processes in the brain. 'In the meantime, keeping our hearts healthy remains one of the most effective ways we can protect our brain health. If you have any concerns about your cholesterol levels, you should speak to your GP.' Dr Richard Oakley from the Alzheimer's Society added: 'Dementia risk is complicated and determined by several factors including genetics, lifestyle, and the environment. 'This study adds to our understanding by showing the strong connection between heart and brain health. Simply put, what is good for the heart is good for the head.' He added: 'This is an ever-evolving topic, and more targeted research and trials are needed to understand whether statins can help protect the brain. However, it is crucial to talk to your GP before making any changes to your medication'.
The Independent
01-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Tackling bad cholesterol levels with statins may reduce dementia risk
Cholesterol-busting drugs have been linked to reducing the risk of dementia in a new study. Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, with around seven to eight million people taking them to cut their chance of heart attack and stroke. Now new research suggests they may have more benefits. Experts found that people who have low levels of 'bad' cholesterol in their blood have a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. And use of statins was found to have 'additional protective effects'. Statins are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. LDL cholesterol (LDL- C) is often referred to as 'bad cholesterol' and can cause plaque to build in arteries, leading to cardiovascular disease, which can increase the chance of strokes, heart attacks and death. Researchers from South Korea said their findings 'underscore the crucial role of managing LDL- C in lowering dementia risk'. Experts examined health data on more than 570,000 people in South Korea. The NHS says that people should aim for bad cholesterol levels in the blood to be below 4mmol/L (millimoles per litre). Researchers found that people whose LDL cholesterol levels were below 1.8 mmol/L had a 26% reduced risk of dementia and a 28% reduced risk in Alzheimer's compared to those who have LDL cholesterol levels above 3.4 mmol/L. Statin use appeared to have additional protection against dementia in the presence of low LDL cholesterol levels. Among people with LDL cholesterol levels below 1.8 mmol/L, statin use was linked to a 13% reduction in dementia risk and a 12% decrease in risk of Alzheimer's disease compared with non-users. 'These findings emphasise the importance of targeted LDL- C management as part of dementia prevention strategies, with potential integration into clinical guidelines,' the authors wrote in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 'The results support the use of statin therapy within specific LDL- C ranges for both cardiovascular and cognitive health benefits.' They added: 'This insightful understanding of how statin use interacts with LDL- C levels emphasises the need for personalised statin prescriptions, focusing on achieving LDL- C levels that offer the maximum cognitive benefits.' Commenting on the study, Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'This large study looked at patient records for levels of LDL cholesterol and the risk of dementia, it also examined those patients who were on statins. 'It found that those people with lower LDL levels had a reduced risk of dementia. 'The use of statins seemed to offer a protective effect – even in those who already had cholesterol levels within a lower range. 'However, dementia risk is complex and influenced by many factors. Without a detailed picture of what's going on in the brain we do not know if there is a direct link between lower cholesterol and reduced dementia risk. Clinical trials will be key to understand what effects statins might be having on disease processes in the brain. 'In the meantime, keeping our hearts healthy remains one of the most effective ways we can protect our brain health. If you have any concerns about your cholesterol levels, you should speak to your GP.' Dr Richard Oakley from the Alzheimer's Society added: ' Dementia risk is complicated and determined by several factors including genetics, lifestyle, and the environment. 'This study adds to our understanding by showing the strong connection between heart and brain health. Simply put, what is good for the heart is good for the head.' He added: 'This is an ever-evolving topic, and more targeted research and trials are needed to understand whether statins can help protect the brain. However, it is crucial to talk to your GP before making any changes to your medication'.
