Friday, Mar 29, 2024 | Last Update : 02:33 AM IST

  India   Benefits of statins outweigh side effects, claims study

Benefits of statins outweigh side effects, claims study

Published : Sep 9, 2016, 12:55 am IST
Updated : Sep 9, 2016, 12:55 am IST

In a review published in the medical journal The Lancet, authors have suggested that statins, cholesterol lowering drugs, help reduce cardiovascular problems not only in people with existing vascular

In a review published in the medical journal The Lancet, authors have suggested that statins, cholesterol lowering drugs, help reduce cardiovascular problems not only in people with existing vascular disease but also in those who are at increased risk of developing them.

Experts say that the review on the safety and efficacy of statin therapy intends to help doctors, patients and the public make informed decisions about the use of the drugs.

The experts revealed that lowering cholesterol by 2 mmol/L with an effective low-cost statin therapy (e.g. atorvastatin 40mg daily) for five years in 10,000 patients would prevent major cardiovascular events (heart attacks, ischaemic strokes and coronary artery bypasses) in 1,000 people with pre-existing vascular disease (“secondary prevention”), and in 500 people who are at increased risk (eg, due to their age or having hypertension or diabetes), but have not yet had a vascular event (“primary prevention”).

It also suggested that cases of myopathy (one of which might progress to the more severe condition of rhabdomyolysis, if the statin is not stopped), 5-10 haemorrhagic strokes, 50-100 new cases of diabetes and up to 50-100 cases of symptomatic adverse events (such as muscle pain).

The authors note that although further research may identify small additional beneficial or adverse effects, this is unlikely to materially alter the balance of benefits and harms for patients because of the evidence generated so far.

Significantly, the authors warn that the benefits of statin therapy have been underestimated, and the harms exaggerated, because of a failure to acknowledge properly both the wealth of evidence from random trials and the limitations of other types of studies.

“Our review shows that the number of people who avoid heart attacks and strokes by taking statin therapy are very much larger than the number who have side-effects with it. In addition, whereas most of the side-effects can be reversed with no residual effects by stopping the statin, the effects of a heart attack or stroke not being prevented are irreversible and can be devastating,” said review author Professor Rory Collins, Clinical Trial Service Unit (CTSU), University of Oxford, UK.

Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi