A new study has established that long-term use of statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, may lead to depression.

The study conducted in animal cells by Amitabha Chattopdhyay and his group at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) found that statins impact serotonin, a neurotransmitter in brain that helps to control mood and behaviour.

It was found that long-term use of the drug caused significant changes in the structure and function of the serotonin receptors. Adding cholesterol to cells treated with statin restored the function of the receptor to normal levels.

Chronic use

The group's publication establishing the link between chronic use of cholesterol-lowering statins and mood disorders was published in the journal Biochemistry, brought out by the American Chemical Society. READ FULL STORY…