Add-on Simvastatin Reduces Negative Schizophrenia Symptoms
Adding simvastatin to risperidone may reduce certain symptoms of schizophrenia, according to a study published online in the International Clinical Psychopharmacology.
“We found a favorable effect of simvastatin on negative symptoms of patients with schizophrenia;” researchers concluded, “however, future studies are warranted to confirm these results.”
The double-blind trial involved 66 inpatients with chronic schizophrenia who were clinically stabilized on risperidone for 4 weeks or more. In addition to continued risperidone (4-6 mg/day), half the patients were randomized to add-on simvastatin (40 mg/day) and the other half to add-on placebo for 8 weeks. In both groups, negative symptom scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were higher than positive symptoms scores at baseline.
After 8 weeks of treatment, patients who received adjunctive simvastatin had significantly greater decreases in negative symptom scores, compared with patients who received adjunctive placebo, the study found. Decreases in total scores, too, were significantly greater with add-on simvastatin compared with add-on placebo.
Positive symptom scores and general psychopathology scores, meanwhile, did not differ significantly between groups.
—Jolynn Tumolo
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