The percentage of people who take statins and experience side effects such as muscle aches, ranges from 6% to 10%. Therefore, intolerance to these drugs against high cholesterol is overestimated and overdiagnosed, according to a new international scientific study, the largest of its kind to date, as it involved more than four million people.
Nearly half of patients who are prescribed statins stop taking them at some point or reduce the dose or take them irregularly because they believe or fear possible side effects, although the problem, according to new research, is ultimately smaller than is believed.
The result is that many patients, due to their unnecessary and excessive anxiety, receive inadequate treatment and thus face an increased cardiovascular risk due to their high cholesterol levels. The researchers, who published their findings in the European Society of Cardiology's European Heart Journal, analyzed 176 studies involving a total of 4,14 million people worldwide.
The study (meta-analysis) concluded that the incidence of statin side effects is 9,1% in the general population. Many studies to date have shown without a doubt that statin therapy can save lives, which is why it is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world.
Nevertheless, all this time there was a doubt about how common their possible side effects are, with previous estimates ranging from a wide range of 5% to 50% of patients. The new study shows that the dimensions of the problem were overestimated.
"About 93% of patients treated with statins can be treated effectively, tolerating these drugs very well and without any safety problems," said lead researcher Professor Maciej Banach of the Polish Medical University in Lodz. He added: "Our study, the largest in the world, clearly shows that patients should not be afraid of statin treatment, as it is very well tolerated.
Statins can prolong life and where their side effects occur, we now have enough knowledge to treat them effectively. "The most important message of our study is that patients should continue to take their statins normally according to the prescribed dose and discuss any side effects with their doctor, rather than stopping the medication."
According to the researchers, the nocebo effect (negative expectations for a drug, ie the opposite of placebo) can explain more than 50% of the symptoms experienced by those taking statins. The study also shows that older people, women, the obese, diabetics, as well as those with kidney failure and chronic liver problems are more likely to not tolerate statins well. Concomitant administration of statins with antiarrhythmic and hypertensive drugs or heavy alcohol consumption may also increase the likelihood of intolerance to them.