A major new research study has dispelled long-standing fears surrounding the safety of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, concluding that the medicines are far safer than previously believed.
For years, statins were widely thought to cause muscle pain in up to 10 percent of users. Earlier research, including findings from scientists at the University of Rochester and Columbia University, suggested that statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) might be linked to increased calcium flow into muscle cells, potentially leading to serious complications.
However, a latest large-scale study published in The Lancet has challenged these concerns, showing that statins do not cause most of the side effects commonly attributed to them.
The research team, funded by the British Heart Foundation, found that statins are highly effective at lowering cholesterol and do not significantly increase the risk of major side effects such as depression, sleep disorders, memory loss, or impotence. On the contrary, statins play a key role in protecting people from heart disease and strokes.
Out of 66 side effects currently listed on statin product labels, the study found strong evidence supporting only four: changes in liver function tests, minor liver abnormalities, urine changes, and tissue swelling.
Commenting on the findings, the study’s lead author Christina Reith explained that rates of memory loss and sleep problems were similar among people taking statins and those who were not.
“This shows that while these symptoms may occur in people taking statins, the drugs themselves are not the cause,” she said.
Statins have been prescribed to hundreds of millions of people worldwide over the past three decades. Despite their proven benefits in reducing heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths, concerns over safety have led many patients to stop or avoid treatment.
Professor Sir Rory Collins, emeritus professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Oxford, emphasized the need to update public information about statins to address misconceptions and ease unnecessary fears.
Meanwhile, Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, reaffirmed the effectiveness of statins but stressed that their use should always be guided by medical advice.
She highlighted the importance of informed discussions between doctors and patients to weigh the risks and benefits before starting or continuing statin therapy.
