According to a recent study, continuous use of drugs, which lower cholesterol, may cause depression. These drugs are called statins. The study appreared in the journal Biochemistry, which was published by the American Chemical Society.

The study was conducted by Amitabha Chattopdhyay and his co-workers at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).The group discovered that that statins have an effect on the level of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter present in the brain, which regulates the mood and behavior of a person.

The researchers found that long term use of the drug resulted in major changes in the function and structure of the serotonin receptors. When researchers added cholesterol to the cells, which had been treated with statin, the normal function of the receptor was restored.

Thus, the group concluded that there is a connection between statins and mood disorders. Ch. Mohan Rao, CCMB Director and Professor Chattopadhyay revealed at a press conference that the statins caused depression in a small number of people, who are genetically inclined towards the condition.

The researchers also highlighted that the introduction of statins has considerably reduced the cases of heart diseases, in the previous two decades.