Statins are once again in the spotlight with a leading medical journal withdrawing claims that the cholesterol-reducing drugs come with hefty side effects.
What are statins?
Statins are drugs that help to lower harmful cholesterol levels in the body by slowing down the production of cholesterol in the liver. The drugs have been prescribed to an estimated seven million people who have been diagnosed with a 20% or more chance of developing heart disease over 10 years and to people who have had a heart attack in the past.
The NHS estimates 7,000 lives are saved by the drugs each year by cutting the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
So are Statins safe?
Every drug has side effects – even those you can buy in the supermarket, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
What you need to think about is: “Do the benefits outweigh the risks?” If we have a screaming headache then we all reach for painkillers despite the long list of potential side effects on the packet. Doctors need to make a similar decision with patients when deciding whether to prescribe a lifetime of statins.
What are the risks?
Reported side effects include:
- Type-2 diabetes
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Liver inflammation
- Kidney problems
- Blurred vision
- Nerve damage
But how common these risks are, and whether they outweigh the benefits, has become a confusing and controversial question sparking vitriolic debate within the medical profession.
What are the arguments?
Some doctors and researchers have argued the risks are too great. A survey of 500 GPs by the magazine Pulse revealed only half would personally take a statin or recommend them to a family member under new plans to give the drugs to low-risk patients.
Others say there has been an atmosphere of dangerous misinformation and compare it with the, now completely discredited, MMR-autism scare.
A review of 83,880 patients, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, showed there was an increased risk of type-2 diabetes, but said reports of increases in nausea, muscle ache, insomnia and fatigue were equally common in people not taking the drugs.
Why is the BMJ investigating?
The British Medical Journal published two high-profile opinion articles, which included the claim that there were side effects in 18%-20% of patients.
The authors Dr John Abramson, from Harvard Medical School, and UK cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra have now withdrawn their statements after those figures proved to be incorrect. These were high-profile claims that have fuelled the debate over statins. There is concern that the claims may have put people off taking the drugs.
The BMJ has launched an independent investigation to decide whether the journal should retract the rest of the two articles.
Should I take statins?
If you have already been prescribed statins then you have a high risk of heart problems in the next decade so the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks.
However, the medicines authority NICE is drawing up plans to give the drugs to low-risk patients too who will face similar risks, but for much smaller benefits.
Decisions on taking statins should be made with a doctor.
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