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Do Statins Have Antidepressant Effects?

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Abstract

Statins are used widely in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease; a treatment effect that has long been thought to be due to their cholesterol-lowering properties. However, statins also have a wide range of anti-inflammatory effects independent of their lipid-lowering mechanisms. In depression, low-grade inflammation is a replicated finding, and several studies have shown antidepressant properties of diverse anti-inflammatory drugs. Large observational studies have suggested reduced risks of depression amongst those taking statins, an effect that is thought to be explained by the anti-inflammatory properties of this class of drugs. Also, preliminary randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have indicated that statins may have adjunctive antidepressant effects when used as add-on treatment to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, the RCTs were small and limited by low generalizability, and some early observational studies have pointed towards potential neuropsychiatric adverse effects of statin treatment. Nevertheless, based on the good tolerability and general safety of the statins, researchers are currently investigating the potential antidepressant properties of these agents. The present review aims to give an overview on the potential antidepressant effects of statins based on their anti-inflammatory properties, covering topics such as safety versus treatment effects, potential mechanisms of action and the possibility of targeted treatment (precision medicine).

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  1. Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Skovagervej 2, 8240, Risskov, Denmark

    Ole Köhler-Forsberg & Søren Dinesen Østergaard

  2. Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Ole Köhler-Forsberg & Søren Dinesen Østergaard

  3. Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Ole Köhler-Forsberg

  4. National Centre for Register-Based Research (NCRR), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Christiane Gasse

  5. iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Initiative for Integrated Research in Psychiatry, Aarhus, Denmark

    Christiane Gasse

  6. Deakin University, School of Medicine, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, Geelong, VIC, Australia

    Michael Berk

  7. Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia

    Michael Berk

  8. The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia

    Michael Berk

  9. Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia

    Michael Berk

Authors
  1. Ole Köhler-Forsberg
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  2. Christiane Gasse
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  3. Michael Berk
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  4. Søren Dinesen Østergaard
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ole Köhler-Forsberg.

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Funding

Michael Berk is supported by an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellowship 1059660. Søren D. Østergaard is supported by a grant from The Lundbeck Foundation (R165-2013-15320). No funding was used to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

MB has received grant/research support from the NIH, Cooperative Research Centre, Simons Autism Foundation, Cancer Council of Victoria, Stanley Medical Research Foundation, MBF, NHMRC, Beyond Blue, Rotary Health, Geelong Medical Research Foundation, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Glaxo SmithKline, Meat and Livestock Board, Organon, Novartis, Mayne Pharma, Servier, Woolworths, Avant and the Harry Windsor Foundation, has been a speaker for Astra Zeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Glaxo SmithKline, Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck, Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi Synthelabo, Servier, Solvay and Wyeth, and served as a consultant to Allergan, Astra Zeneca, Bioadvantex, Bionomics, Collaborative Medicinal Development, Eli Lilly, Glaxo SmithKline, Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck Merck, Pfizer and Servier. Ole Köhler-Forsberg, Christiane Gasse and Søren Dinesen Østergaard report no conflicts of interest.

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Köhler-Forsberg, O., Gasse, C., Berk, M. et al. Do Statins Have Antidepressant Effects?. CNS Drugs 31, 335–343 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40263-017-0422-3

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