Hi Ron, all 3 men were taking Lipitor (atorvastatin). It is considered one of the more potent statins (after crestor, rosuvastatin). Simvastatin (zocor) is in the same category as lipitor; they are both lipophilic statins (as is crestor), meaning they are fat soluble. being fat soluble, they cross the blood brain barrier. I assume statins can directly affect the mavelonate pathway in the brain that makes brain cholesterol, just as statins affect this pathway in the liver. Pravachol (pravastatin)and Lescol (fluvastatin) are water soluble statins and thus theorized to be unable to cross the BBB.
madelyn