MARY ANNE ORR,

Thanks for your question.

With your husband's history, it sounds like he needs cholesterol medication more than most people.

There is no evidence to suggest that cholesterol lowering drugs cause Alzheimers Disease, which has been around for many, many years.  In fact, many studies are underway investigating whether these drugs will help in the prevention of Alzheimers.  The results so far are mixed.  Many of my physician friends have put some patients with a strong family history of Alzheimers on these drugs in an effort to prevent disease. 

Most of the problems encountered with the use of these drugs are short term side effects, easily corrected with stopping the medication.  Again, to date, no long term dangers have been identified, and certainly no evidence that it caused Alzheimers.

With his problems, most of which were caused by plaque formation due to high cholesterol, the decision to take cholesterol medication is very clear.  Without them, he may go on to develop further disease of the heart as well as the other blood vessels, including his brain. 

In short:  take the medication.

I hope this has been helpful.

Martin Cane, M.D.