A comprehensive review published in The Lancet has found that the vast majority of side effects listed for statins are not actually caused by the drugs. Researchers examined 19 randomised controlled trials involving 124,000 people over an average of 4.5 years, assessing 66 side effects currently listed on product labels.
Only four side effects – muscle pain, diabetes, liver test changes, and tissue swelling – were supported by evidence, and even these risks were very small. The study found no strong evidence that statins cause 62 other listed side effects, including memory problems, depression, sleep disturbances, and nerve damage.
Lead author Christina Reith, associate professor at Oxford University, said: “What we were able to show reliably was that statins did not make these commonly experienced events occur more often.” For example, the percentage of people suffering memory loss per year was similar between those taking statins and those not.
Professor Sir Rory Collins, a senior author, called for rapid revision of statin information to help patients and doctors make better-informed decisions. The British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the research, said the evidence counters misinformation and should help prevent unnecessary deaths from cardiovascular disease.
Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown of the Royal College of GPs noted that while statins have real benefits, decisions should be made through patient-GP conversations about risks and benefits.
