Health Canada the institution which regulates all health aspects in that country has received up till now 19 reports of memory loss which are suspected to be associated with the use of statins, drugs used to diminish cholesterol.

Of these cases, eight are associated with atorvastatin (Lipitor), one with cerivastatin (discontinued), 2 with lovastatin (Mevacor), four with rosuvastatin (Crestor) and four with simvastatin (Zocor).

Time span since the beginning of the treatment and the appearance of memory loss oscillated between one month and more than a year, although in four cases it was not possible to pinpoint when the memory loss actually started.

Dr. Michel Trottier, representative of Health Canada, stated that the proposed mechanism by which statins provoked amnesia were due to these substances (statins) breaking through the blood-brain barrier (encephalic-hemato barrier) diminishing the levels of brain cholesterol, required for the formation of myelin which resulted in the demyelinisation of nerve fibres in the central nervous system.

In an article published August 2005, in this web site, Peligros de los fármacos contra el colesterol , Dr. Meyer Magarici warned -with anticipation- against the possible secondary effects that the indiscriminate use of these products could bring. They are starting to be confirmed.