Statins use and risk of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aspirin and statin use and the subsequent development of depression in men and women: Results from a longitudinal population-based study

“…The absence of an association between regular aspirin or statin use and MDD contrasts with prospective studies that observed a preventive effect of these drugs on depression (Pasco et al, 2010;Young-Xu et al, 2003;Parsaik et al, 2014;Redlich et al, 2014). The discrepant results between our findings and those of the Australian community study (Pasco et al, 2010), which was based on similar methods, is most likely attributable to differences between the two cohorts.…”

“…Regarding statins, a review of five randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and three observational studies provided mostly negative evidence for an association between these drugs and depressive symptoms (While and Keen, 2012), with negative results from all RCTs and only support for a protective effect of statins in one (Young-Xu et al, 2003) out of the three observational studies. In contrast, a recent meta-analysis of seven observational studies, which among the studies of the previous review only included the study of Young-Xu et al (2003), documented a protective effect of statins against the development of depression (Parsaik et al, 2014). Moreover, a prospective community study of elderly subjects not included in this meta-analysis revealed an interaction between sex and the effect of statins, with a preventive effect of these drugs on depressive symptoms over a 1.5-year period in women only (Feng et al, 2010).…”

“…Depression has been found to be associated with an increased cardiovascular risk (Baune et al, 2012;Glaus et al, 2013;Penninx et al, 2013) and low-grade chronic inflammation is a possible mechanism that could underlie this association (Baune et al, 2012). Hence, it has been suggested that the regular use of aspirin or statins could be protective against depression (Berk et al, 2013;Stafford and Berk, 2011;While and Keen, 2012;Parsaik et al, 2014).…”

The role of inflammatory markers in explaining the association between depression and cardiovascular hospitalisations

“…Antidepressants may have anti-inflammatory effects, which could in turn reduce risk of cardiovascular events (Hiles et al, 2012a;Tynan et al, 2012). Furthermore, medications with anti-inflammatory effects such as statins and aspirin, which are often prescribed for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular events, are associated with reductions in depression (Parsaik et al, 2014;Pasco et al, 2010a). There is also a role for intervening on aspects of unhealthy lifestyle and improving adherence to lifestyle management programs in people at risk of cardiovascular events, as aspects of unhealthy lifestyle factors such as adiposity are pro-inflammatory (Miller et al, 2003;Shelton & Miller, 2010).…”

Simvastatin treatment exerts antidepressant-like effect in rats exposed to chronic mild stress

“…In addition, two longitudinal follow-up studies found that statin use was associated with significant reduction in the risk of depression in individuals who have a history of CAD (Otte et al, 2012;Stafford and Berk, 2011). Recently, one meta-analysis of seven observational studies suggested that statin use is associated with lower risk of depression (Parsaik et al, 2014). These pieces of clinical evidence brought about Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 124 (2014) Renshaw et al (2009) was the first to examine possible antidepressant effect of statins in an animal behavioral model.…”