Statins effectively arrest cholesterol; drugs well-tolerated in patients
A new study in The Lancet adds further evidence that statins, used to reduce cholesterol, are both safe and effective, well tolerated, and have a proven impact on cardiovascular disease.
Dr Jane Armitage, of the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit at the University of Oxford in England, said that “since statins were first approved in 1987, their ability to reduce the risks of vascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and the need for arterial revascularisation has been shown by several large, high-quality randomized trials”.
The review says that adverse effects from some statins on muscle, such as pain/weakness and breakdown of muscle, are rare at standard doses.
It also examined the safety of statins in vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, patients who consume excess alcohol or are on warfarin.
There is no evidence to suggest people consuming excess alcohol are at greater risk of side effects from statin use; however, the review warns that many such people were excluded from statin trials. Warfarin users may need to adjust the amounts of warfarin they take when statin treatment begins and again when it ends.
“Statins are a well-tolerated and extensively studied group of drugs. Their proven impact on cardiovascular disease risk has been driving their widespread use,” Dr Armitage concludes.
“With a few caveats and while awaiting good quality randomised data for the newer drugs, statins seem to be a remarkably safe group of drugs when used at their usual doses.”
