Low cholesterol levels may lead to permanent psychomotor, cognitive, motorsystem damage, hypoadrenalism and infertility in both males and females

This study was published in the Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad 2010 Jul-Sep;22(3):225-7

Study title and authors:
Hypocholesterolemia secondary to atrovastatin therapy.

Ali S, Khan SA, Iram S.
Department of Medicine, NIMS Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan. drshafqutali@hotmail.com

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22338462

This paper describes the case of a 40 years old male who was started on Atorvastatin after his angioplasty (angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening narrowed or obstructed arteries) following a heart attack.

(i) Six weeks after the start of statin therapy the patient developed symptoms of phobias, nightmares, insomnia, forgetfulness, body aches, muscle cramps, cognitive, sexual and psychomotor disturbances.
(ii) On investigation he was found to have low cholesterol levels.
(iii) Atorvastatin was stopped and over a five month period the patients symptoms resolved as his cholesterol levels became normal.

The study concluded that if patients have low cholesterol levels it can lead to permanent psychomotor, cognitive, motorsystem damage, hypoadrenalism, infertility in both males and females along with permanent affects of fat soluble vitamins deficiencies.

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Low cholesterol levels associated with slow mental processing in students

This study was published in Psychosomatic Medicine 1995 Jan-Feb;57(1):50-3

Study title and author:

Do low cholesterol levels slow mental processing?

Benton D.

Department of Psychology, University College, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7732160  

The study investigated the relationship between cholesterol levels and mental processing. Reaction times were assessed in 279 students, aged 18 to 25, by subjecting them to a series of tests that measured their decision times and movement times.

The study found that lower cholesterol levels were associated with slower decision times and slower movement times.

The data from this study suggests that higher cholesterol levels are related to higher cognitive efficiency.

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