This is the conclusion reached by the authors of the largest of all studies conducted so far on the safety of statins – drugs that lower blood cholesterol levels. Article by an international group of scientists published в European Heart Journal.
Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide. However, until now it has not been completely clear what proportion of patients suffer from intolerance to these drugs. The spread of values ranged from 5 to 50%. At the same time, according to statistics, regarding one in two people who have been prescribed statins, independently reduces the dose or takes these drugs irregularly because of the fear that they will develop muscle pain or other side effects.
To clarify the issue of the prevalence of side effects of statins, scientists conducted a meta-analysis of data from 176 studies on this topic, which in total involved more than four million people from around the world. As a result, it was found that the proportion of patients who actually have statin intolerance is, depending on the diagnostic criteria, from 6 to 9%, and no more.
These results suggest that the vast majority of patients who are prescribed statins can safely take these drugs without fear of any negative side effects, the researchers emphasize. In many cases, when it comes to statin intolerance, the nocebo effect (the patient’s belief that the drug is harmful) is to blame. The share of this psychophysiological effect accounts for up to half of all unpleasant symptoms associated with taking statins, scientists are sure.
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