Summary: New research suggests that statin drugs may impact aggression levels in both men and women.Your body needs cholesterol in order to create a healthy balance of cell membranes and hormones that help you function on a daily basis. However, having bad cholesterol (LDL) can cause an unhealthy build-up of plaque in your arteries. To help lower your bad cholesterol levels, your doctor might recommend statins. Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a central role in the production of cholesterol in the liver. Your liver produces about 70 percent of total cholesterol in your body. A recent study looked at how the statin drugs might influence your aggression levels and found that men who take statins become less aggressive while women become more aggressive. Why is that? Listen in as Beatrice Alexandra Golomb, MD, PhD, shares the recent study that might show a link between cholesterol drugs and aggression.
