Effects of lovastatin on cognitive function and psychological well-being

PURPOSE: Animal research and cross-sectional studies suggest that serum lip id concentrations may influence cognitive function, mood, and behavior, but few clinical trials have studied these effects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this double-blind investigation, 209 generally hea lthy adults with a serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level of 160 mg/dL or higher were randomly assigned to 6-month treatment with lovas tatin (20 mg) or placebo. Assessments of neuropsychological performance, de pression, hostility, and quality of life were conducted at baseline and at the end of the treatment period. Summary effect sizes were estimated as z s cores on a standard deviation (SD) scale. RESULTS: Placebo-treated subjects improved between baseline and posttreatme nt periods on neuropsychological tests in all five performance domains, con sistent with the effects of practice on test performance (all P <0.04), whe reas chose treated with lovastatin improved only on tests of memory recall (P = 0.03). Comparisons of the changes in performance between placebo- and lovastatin-treated subjects revealed small, but statistically significant, differences for tests of attention (z score = 0.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.06 to 0.31: P = 0.005) and psychomotor speed (z score = 0.17; 95% Ci, 0.05 to 0.28; P = 0.004) that were consistent with greater improvement in the placebo group. Psychological well-being, as measured several ways, w as not affected by lovastatin. CONCLUSION: Treatment of hypercholesterolemia with lovastatin did not cause psychological distress or substantially alter cognitive function. Treatmen t did result in small performance decrements on neuropsychological tests of attention and psychomotor speed, the clinical importance of which is uncer tain. (C) 2000 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.