A new statistical study by a drug safety expert at the University of Bri­tish Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute shows that statins, the family of drugs used to lower cholesterol, might also reduce the risk of epileptic seizures in people with cardiovascular disease. The findings could provide the basis for randomized, controlled clinical trials to test the efficacy of the drugs as anti-epileptic medication.

The study was based on a database of 2400 Quebec residents aged 65 and older, culling the data from a larger database of 150000 cardiovascular patients in that province. Data showed that those taking statins were 35% less likely to be hospitalized with a diagnosis of epilepsy than those not taking the drug. 

The study was published 25 October 2010 in the journal Neurology.

This observational study does not prove causation, but reveals an association between use of statins and the incidence of epilepsy. This is the first large study involving humans to show a correlation between statins and seizures.