ReviewCurrent neuropharmacology2019
Statins and the Brain: More than Lipid Lowering Agents?
Review in Current neuropharmacology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
66 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 111 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Statin Use and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Intravenous Thrombolysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of simvastatin on white matter integrity in healthy middle-aged adults.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2021Trial
- Simvastatin Augmentation for Patients With Early-Phase Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.Schizophrenia bulletin · 2021Trial
- Effects of lovastatin on cortical excitability, E/I balance, and antioxidant markers in a case series of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy: a proof-of-concept study.Pharmacological reports : PR · 2026Article
- SIRT1 in brain aging: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of pharmacological and natural modulators.Biogerontology · 2026Review
- Farnesol and geranylgeraniol in plant reproduction: insights from Arabidopsis and beyond.Journal of experimental botany · 2026Review
- Statin-Induced Coenzyme Q Deficiency Induces Metabolic Reprogramming in Astrocytes.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Rab geranylgeranyl transferase activity is required for proper sterol biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.Plant & cell physiology · 2026Article
- SIRT1 Activators as Geroprotective Agents in Brain Aging: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential.Neuromolecular medicine · 2026Review
- Insights from deep learning models on new-onset anxiety in patients following bariatric metabolic surgery.Journal of affective disorders reports · 2026Article
- Statins and genetic inhibition of the mevalonate pathway activate an ATF3-STMN2 regenerative program.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Statin therapy on dementia in elderly type 2 diabetes patients with delirium.Diabetology & metabolic syndrome · 2025Article
- Impact of Statin Therapy on the Risk of Stroke Recurrence, Mortality, and Dementia After Ischemic Stroke (ISMARDD Study): A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis.Neurology international · 2025Article
- Mini meta-analysis of anticholinesterase actions of atorvastatin, simvastatin and rosuvastatin, andToxicology reports · 2025Review
- The Role of Cholesterol Metabolism and Its Regulation in Tumor Development.Cancer medicine · 2025Review
- Exploring the Role of RhoA/ROCK Signaling in Pain: A Narrative Review.Aging and disease · 2025Review
- Daily high doses of atorvastatin alter neuronal morphology in a juvenile songbird model.PloS one · 2025Article
- Pre-ICU statin therapy reduces 28-day mortality in sepsis-associated brain dysfunction: a propensity-matched analysis of potential neuroprotective mechanisms.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
- Mitigating neuroinflammation in cognitive areas: exploring the impact of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor.The Biochemical journal · 2024Article
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundStatins represent a class of medications widely prescribed to efficiently treat dyslipidemia. These drugs inhibit 3-βhydroxy 3β-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), the rate-limiting enzyme of mevalonate (MVA) pathway. Besides cholesterol, MVA pathway leads to the production of several other compounds, which are essential in the regulation of a plethora of biological activities, including in the central nervous system. For these reasons, statins are able to induce pleiotropic actions, and acquire increased interest as potential and novel modulators in brain processes, especially during pathological conditions.
objectiveThe purpose of this review is to summarize and examine the current knowledge about pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of statins in the brain. In addition, effects of statin on brain diseases are discussed providing the most up-to-date information.
methodsRelevant scientific information was identified from PubMed database using the following keywords: statins and brain, central nervous system, neurological diseases, neurodegeneration, brain tumors, mood, stroke.
results315 scientific articles were selected and analyzed for the writing of this review article. Several papers highlighted that statin treatment is effective in preventing or ameliorating the symptomatology of a number of brain pathologies. However, other studies failed to demonstrate a neuroprotective effect.
conclusionEven though considerable research studies suggest pivotal functional outcomes induced by statin therapy, additional investigation is required to better determine the pharmacological effectiveness of statins in the brain, and support their clinical use in the management of different neuropathologies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.