Carolyn, if I had your abilities, the citizen's petition to the FDA I have been researching and writing over the past year to implore them to conduct phase 4 studies on lipitor to determine if there exists a causal relationship between lipitor and parkinson's would have been completed by now. thank you for finding these articles and posting them....
I know i am repeating myself, but the study by Lieberman has a few problems from my analysis--though the most IMPORTANT part (my opinion)in this study was the notation that 5 patients who were originally in the non-statin group were started on a statin during the trial.
ALL FIVE OF THE SUBJECTS DEVELOPED WORSENING OF THEIR SYMPTOMS AFTER STARTING THE STATIN.

the statins were stopped for a "washing out" period--and after 2 weeks when the symptoms did not revert to pre-statin levels the investigators decided that these effects were not caused by the statin and the drugs were reordered......

statins do more than just decrease LDL (which is not a fat, but a lipid and a protein that act as carriers for cholesterol and triglycerides)

statins interrupt isoprentylation of many substances one of which results in a depression in selenoprotein expression. the functions of selenium are carried out by selenoproteins. several selenoproteins are expressed in the brain. glutathione peroxidase is one of these, serving an important role as protection from reactive oxygen species-induced cell damage. selenium concentrations in the CSF and serum of patients with PD are lower compared to normal subjects. [meseguer et al 1999, aguilar et al 1998])and the lowest density of glutathione peroxidase positive glial cells is found in the substantia nigra--leaving this dopaminergic cell group with less protection from oxidative stress and vulnerable to PD (Damier et al 1996) (there is a doc in Fla, Pearlman, who will give IV glutathione to PD patients and there is currently a study at the univ of fla (or one of the med schools in fla) looking at the use of IV glutathione in PD--please understand i am not endorsing the use of IV glutathione for PD-from my understanding, it should result in initial symptom improvements, but very soon loses effectiveness; i hope i am incorrect)

and of course statins interrupt the pathway to coenzyme q10 production.
I could continue, but the time is late and I have probably already typed more than anyone wants to read.
when I first joined the original BT group, I asked the question if anyone else suspected that statins were associated with their parkinson's disease. I was so bullied and ridiculed by one individual, who was joined by a few others who made fun of me and my "theories" (ie --we've been around long enough to hear all the theories and are immune to them, etc. etc. ) that I ceased from sharing my research findings with the group. I am not claiming to be correct--but questioning. so thank you, carolyn, for providing me an opening...it's Carolyn's fault, everyone........
in all seriousness, madelyn