Long-term administration of statins, which is the anti-cholesterol drugs, could lead to anxiety and major depression in patients and as well develop suicidal propensities, scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology here have been able to recognize.

A team of scientists that was led by Amitabha Chattopadhyay examined the effect of statin on human serotonin receptors that are expressed in animal cells and established the association between usage of cholesterol-lowering drugs and temper disorders.

The new results of the reading is a representation of the first report describing the effect of long-term cholesterol exhaustion on this type of neurotransmitter receptor and suggest that chronic, low cholesterol levels in the brain might activate anxiety and depression, Chattopadhyay said in a press meeting along with CCMB Director, Ch Mohana Rao here today.

Chattopadhyay's reading has been published in the most recent journal of Biochemistry, brought out by the American Chemical Society.

Statins drugs are the ones that are sold the maximum throughout the world, with an anticipated yearly turnover of $25 billion.

In India, the drugs are able to accumulate almost Rs.1, 000 Crore for the pharma firms. Although it is still not recognized whether all statins have an effect on the brain because of their impact on serotonin, scientists consider that a majority of them would have some impact.