If you or a family member who is over 70 years old is going to have surgery, you may want to avoid taking a statin drug in the three months beforehand. Research at Ontario’s Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) shows that seniors taking statins before surgery have a 28 percent increased risk of postoperative delirium.

Delirium, in addition to causing serious anxiety in patients and their families, can mean a longer hospital stay and a prolonged need for intensive care. It can also disrupt and delay necessary healthcare.

"Our results suggest that this association was more than a coincidence, particularly among patients who received higher doses of statins and had longer duration noncardiac surgeries," conclude the researchers.