Side effects of statins dangerously exaggerated, review warns

Statins are the most-prescribed drug in the UK, taken by around six million people every day

Friday 09 September 2016 07:04 BST

Cholesterol-lowering statins are currently taken by around six million people in the UK (Getty)

The potential side effects of statins are largely exaggerated and the cholesterol-reducing tablets are safe and effective, a major medical review has found.

Statins, the most-prescribed drug in the UK, are taken by around six million people every day, but unreliable studies have overstated their dangers, according to the study.

Safety concerns could have led hundreds of thousands of people to stop taking the life-saving treatment, which has been the subject of years of controversy and conflicting reports.

But a review of the available evidence on statins, published in the Lancet medical journal, has found that the risks of a negative reaction are far outweighed by the benefits.

Too much weight has been placed upon unreliable evidence from observational studies, while the results from randomised drugs trials, which are reliable, have not been properly acknowledged, the study stated.

The report has been released in a bid to avert an MMR-style public health scare, when there was a significant decline in the uptake of the vaccine after a report, which has since been completely discredited, linked it to autism.

Child's vaccine and autism video is going viral - for good reason

Dr Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, said: “We saw in a very painful way the consequences of publishing a paper which had a huge impact on the confidence in a safe and effective vaccine.

“We have learnt lessons from that episode and those lessons need to be widely propagated - they are lessons for all journals, all scientists.”

Statins help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or stroke, by helping to lower harmful cholesterol levels in the body.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the UK, and statins prevent 80,000 heart attacks and strokes every year, reported the Guardian.

The estimated cost of a daily dose of low-cost statin therapy is about £2 per month.

“This is the first time that all of the evidence has been brought together on both safety and benefits into a single publication,” said Dr Horton.

“So this is a one-stop shop of the evidence on safety and benefits of statins. There has been nowhere where you can get all of that information in a single place.”

Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

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1/6Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

You will need: 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 1 stick of celery, 1 cup of mushrooms, 4 to 6 eggs, 1 habanero chilli (optional), 1 tablespoon of oil, 25g of grated low-fat cheese, 150 ml of skimmed milk, 50g of turkey breast. Add some spinach for an extra boost.

Method:

1) Cook your turkey breast so that it’s ready to add to the mix later on. Best to grill it and then chop it up as it’s healthier than shallow frying. 2) Meanwhile, heat the oil and add your onion, pepper, chilli, mushrooms and celery to your pan. Cook these for around five minutes until your veg is nice and soft. 3) Whisk your eggs and milk together in a separate bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. 4) Add the egg mixture, veg, cooked turkey and cheese to a high-sided baking pan or tin and cook in your oven for around 15 minutes at 170C.

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Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Be careful when you buy your porridge, as some brands will cram a lot of sugar in there. Porridge is a good breakfast option as it is renowned for releasing energy slowly, which means you can get to lunch without suffering from a lull. A great source of fibre, potassium and vitamins, bananas are always a good accompaniment to your morning oats.

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Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Ingredients: 2 full eggs, 3 egg whites, asparagus, peppers, 50g of smoked salmon

Method

1) Boil your asparagus in water for around five minutes. 2) Meanwhile, mix your eggs and egg whites in a jug, and add a splash of skimmed milk. Chop some peppers up and throw them in too. 3) Once your asparagus is cooked, drain it and chop into smaller chunks. Add these to your egg mixture. 4) Whisk your mixture and season with salt and pepper. 5) Pour the mix into a hot pan with a small knob of butter or a teaspoon of quality olive oil. 6) Cook the omelette for around 90 seconds to two minutes. 7) Once the bottom is cooked, take the pan off the hob and place under the grill for another 30 seconds to a minute in order to cook the top. 8) Serve with your smoked salmon.

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Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Greek yoghurt has vast nutritional benefits. Regardless of where you stand on the superfood debate, Greek yoghurt’s credentials speak for themselves. A good source of potassium, protein, calcium and essential vitamins, this food forms an ideal base for a healthy breakfast, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.

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Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Eggs Florentine is not only a tasty breakfast, it also carries a hefty nutritional punch, particularly when you throw some spinach into the equation.

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Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

So fast and easy to make, yet so effective. Wholemeal toast can be a good breakfast choice, as long as you are sensible with your toppings. Peanut butter is perfect. A good source of “healthy fats”, as well as protein and Vitamin E among other nutrients, a liberal spreading of peanut butter can set you up for the day.

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The review found that side-effects can include developing muscle pain, diabetes or a haemorrhagic stroke, but suggestions that statins cause other conditions, such as memory loss, cataracts, kidney injury, liver disease, sleep disturbance, aggression or erectile dysfunction, are not accurate.

Oxford University's Professor Rory Collins, one of the authors of the review, said misleading claims about harmful side-effects was causing a “serious cost to public health”.

He added: “Our review shows that the numbers of people who avoid heart attacks and strokes by taking statin therapy are very much larger than the numbers 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."

Additional reporting by Press Association

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