A new study has debunked the long-feared and mysterious side effects associated with cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.
Statins were previously thought to cause muscle pain in 10 percent of people taking the drug to lower cholesterol.
Even the researchers from the University of Rochester and Columbia University revealed that statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) are associated with the influx of calcium into the muscles, which causes life-threatening problems.
However, the recent study published in The Lancet magazine showed that statins are safer to use than previously advertised.
According to the British Heart Foundation-funded team, statins are effective at lowering cholesterol levels and do not cause major side effects, including depression, sleep disorders, memory loss and impotence. In fact, the drugs may protect people from cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Of the 66 side effects currently listed on product labels, only four, including changes in liver tests, minor liver abnormalities, changes in urine and tissue swelling, are confirmed by strong evidence.
Drinking up on the potential side effects of statins, the study’s lead author, Christina Reith, said: “So, for example, the percentage of people who experienced memory loss annually was similar to those who took statin therapy, as well as those who did not. The percentage of people who experienced sleep problems annually was similar to those who took statin therapy.”
“This means that we now have really good evidence that, while these things could very well happen to people while they are taking statins, statins are not the cause of these problems,” she added.
Statins have been used by hundreds of millions of people around the world for thirty years.
Given their widespread use, Prof Sir Rory Collins, emeritus professor of medicine and epidemiology at Oxford, urged better review of information on statins to tackle growing safety concerns among people.
Statins have been used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide over the past thirty years and have been proven to reduce heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths. At the same time, millions of people have been coming off the drugs due to long-standing safety concerns, with statin labels listing dozens of possible side effects.
Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, assured the effectiveness of statins against the diseases, but also called for conscious use of statins on a prescription basis and “a conversation between the GP and the patient about the different risks and benefits.”
