Effects of Statins and Cholesterol on Patient Aggression: Is There a Connection?

Conclusion. It is evident that psychiatric inpatients with lower total cholesterol levels are at an increased risk for loss of behavioral control. Keywords: Statins, cholesterol, aggression, agitation, violence, psychiatric inpatients Little data support or refute the claim that statins or low serum cholesterol increase a patient’s risk of aggression. Therefore, it is imperative that we, as healthcare professionals, contribute to best practices to ensure that we do not inadvertently worsen a patient’s preexisting psychiatric condition. Behavioral changes can be provoked by a variety of medications. Recent literature has linked 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, commonly referred to as statins, to central nervous system (CNS) neuropsychiatric adverse effects, including aggression, agitation, irritability, mood changes, violent ideation, sleep problems, suicidality, and additional behavioral disturbances.1–5 These adverse effects have also been reported in the setting of low cholesterol and with lower omega-3 fatty acid levels.6–9 Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the association between lowered cholesterol and behavioral changes. Lipids play an important role in brain functioning and are critical in the formation of neuron cell membranes, myelin sheath, and nerve synapses. It has been hypothesized that decreased serum lipid levels in the brain can reduce obtainable cholesterol by neurons, which can lower serotonergic ...
Source: Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Current Issue Retrospective Study aggression agitation cholesterol psychiatric inpatients Statins violence Source Type: research