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Statins do not cause muscle aches and pains, study finds
UK researchers seek to dispel concerns over pills prescribed for those at higher risk of heart attack and strokesStatins are generally not the cause of the muscle aches and pains that stop some people taking the pills prescribed to protect them against serious heart problems, according to a novel study that hopes to dispel some of the concerns.Two million people in the UK who are at higher risk of heart attack and strokes are eligible for statins, but many people refuse them or have stopped taking them because of sometimes alarming and widespread reports of muscle pain. But the study funded by the National Institute of Hea...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - February 24, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Sarah Boseley Health editor Tags: Statins Medical research Health Ageing UK news Heart attack Stroke Heart disease Science Society Source Type: news

'Bad cholesterol' levels should be checked from age of 25 - study
Understanding risks early on could help protect from disease later in life and ‘offer chance to take statins or adjust diet’All adults as young as 25, as well as older people, need to know of their “bad cholesterol” levels so they can change their lifestyle or take drugs to protect themselves against heart attacks or strokes in later life, say scientists.A landmark study involving data from nearly 400,000 people in 19 countries has established for the first time that levels of non-HDL, or “bad cholesterol”, in the blood are closely linked to the risk of heart disease across the entire life course.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - December 3, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Sarah Boseley Health editor Tags: UK news Health Heart attack Stroke Young people Older people Nutrition Science Obesity World news Source Type: news

High-risk patients being underprescribed statins, study finds
Cholesterol-lowering drugs are also being overprescribed to people at low risk of having a heart attack or stroke, researchers findStatins are being overprescribed to low-risk groups and underprescribed to high-risk groups, research by the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) has shown.The report found potential “undertreatment” among people who have at least a 20% chance of cardiovascular disease (CVD) within a decade, who are considered high-risk patients.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 24, 2017 Category: Science Authors: Mattha Busby Tags: Statins Society Heart attack Medical research Stroke UK news Science Source Type: news

The controversy over statins has revealed something: the nocebo effect is real | Ann Robinson
Just as placebos can have a positive effect, expectation of side-effects can have a negative one. That ’s why proper doctor-patient communication is so vitalStatins are back in the news;a new study shows that media-fuelled controversy among health experts has dented public confidence in the cholesterol-lowering drugs that prevent 80,000 heart attacks and strokes every year in the UK. The benefits far outweigh the harm from rare side-effects, according to a review of the evidence in the Lancet medical journal. But200,000 people stopped taking their statins in 2013 following six months of “disputed research and tendentio...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - May 3, 2017 Category: Science Authors: Ann Robinson Tags: Placebo effect Statins Health Society NHS Heart attack Stroke Doctors UK news Science Source Type: news

Statin side-effects down to negative expectations, not the drugs, say  study
Researchers hope study will end debate around statins, which could benefit over six million UK patients who are not taking them, or take low dosagesCommon side-effects of statins are not down to the drugs, but are instead a result of patients ’ negative expectations, research suggests.Statins are typically prescribed to help lower levels of “bad cholesterol” – or low-density lipoprotein – in order to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Arecent report estimated that the drugs prevent around 80,000 such incidents a year in the UK.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - May 2, 2017 Category: Science Authors: Nicola Davis Tags: Statins Society Health Heart attack Medical research Science Source Type: news

Statin side-effects only felt by those who believe in them – study
Researchers hope study will end debate around drugs, which could benefit over six million more UK patientsCommon side-effects of statins are not down to the drugs, but are instead a result of patients ’ negative expectations, research suggests.Statins are typically prescribed to help lower levels of “bad cholesterol” – or low-density lipoprotein – in order to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Arecent report estimated that the drugs prevent around 80,000 such incidents a year in the UK.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - May 2, 2017 Category: Science Authors: Nicola Davis Tags: Statins Society Health Heart attack Medical research Science Source Type: news

Should I take statins?
Since 80% of cardiovascular disease is caused by lack of exercise, poor diet and smoking, it would be better to address these factors rather than pop a statinShould everyone over 50 be taking statins? asked an editorial in the Lancet last year. No, said an analysis article in last week's BMJ. Statins, in case you've escaped the hype, are drugs that block an enzyme in the liver that's needed to make cholesterol (we make it as well as eat it). Statins reduce levels of low density lipoproteins – the bad cholesterol that furs up arteries and can cause heart disease. But is there any benefit in taking a statin if yo...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 27, 2013 Category: Science Authors: Luisa Dillner Tags: The Guardian Medical research Health & wellbeing Human biology Drugs Features Life and style Science Source Type: news