Health and Disability

Core tip: Animal and cell culture studies show that statins can damage cerebral gray and white matter, thereby affecting cognitive function. Findings from human studies remain controversial; early observational studies reported that statin use negatively affected cognition, especially memory, while more recent studies have not replicated these findings. Even though statins are widely prescribed for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), only one study to date has examined whether statin use is related to cognitive impairment in this patient population. We propose that deleterious effects statins may exert on cognition may be more pronounced in people with T1D, as these individuals are already at an increased risk of cognitive impairment due to long-term exposure to metabolic dysregulation.