Statins can interfere with your ability to metabolize other drugs. Instead, patients may be tested before starting a statin and again as needed. CLAIM: The side effects of statins are not worth the risk. Taking statin drugs leads to diabetes out of the blue. Statin prescribing is increasing by 30% each year and soon everyone over 50 will be told they need them. Here's What to Do, 9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold, How Your Period Changes During Your 20s, 30s, and 40s, 12 Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point to a Disorder, Shannen Doherty Reveals Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis—Here's What It Means, The Best (and Worst) Diets of 2020, According to Experts, 10 Moves for a Cardio Workout at Home—No Equipment Required, These 13 Women Prove Every Body Is a Bikini Body, 20 Things You Should Throw Away for Better Health, 8 Women on the Weird Symptoms That Made Them Realize They Were Pregnant. If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. A pharmaceutical expert argues the cholesterol-fighting drugs are overprescribed, with potentially dangerous side effects. People on statins used to undergo periodic liver enzyme testing. About 10% of statin users get aches and pains, says William W. O'Neill, MD, a cardiologist and medical director of Henry Ford Health System's Center for Structural Heart Disease at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. The case against statins. Truth: In clinical trials, statins appear to … When I see an older patient who complains of muscle pain, fatigue and weakness, I know from experience that a statin drug is the most likely culprit. Although the effect of statins during pregnancy is not clear, research has brought up concern of birth defects. Here's why a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis can be so frightening. A pharmaceutical expert argues the cholesterol-fighting drugs are overprescribed, with potentially dangerous side effects. As a group, the patients on statins showed major declines in performance on test measuring attention, memory and overall mental efficiency. (MORE: Questions to Ask Before Beginning a Treatment). (The liver produces about 75 percent of the cholesterol that circulates in our blood; the rest comes from our diet.) Doctors too often dismiss the possibility that the statin drugs they've prescribed as a preventive measure could be causing these complaints. These approaches can be so effective that we should view statins as drugs of last resort. A study of statin-induced myopathies (muscle diseases) published in the journal Muscle & Nerve in 2006 found that "variable persistent symptoms occurred in 68 percent of patients despite cessation of [statin] therapy. Health.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. Statins can cause serious cognitive problems. The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. When you consider that nearly everyone 60 and older has sarcopenia — the gradual, natural loss of muscle mass and strength that comes with aging — it's wise to question the use of any drug that could accelerate the effect. Stay in your living room and still spike your heart rate. Researchers reported that 87 percent of patients talked with their doctors about whether these symptoms could be related to their statin regimen — with the vast majority of the discussions initiated by the patients, not the doctors. If you're taking a statin, your doctor probably placed you in one of two treatment categories — primary prevention or secondary prevention. For most people, the solution is a simple tweak, says Antonio M. Gotto Jr., MD, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. A study published in the journal Drug Safety in 2007 looked at 650 cases of adults who had muscle pain, cognitive impairment or other recognized symptoms of statin toxicity. In a study published in 2004 in the American Journal of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers examined 283 patients with high cholesterol treated over a six-month period with statin drugs or a placebo, giving them test of cognitive function before and after the trial. Cholesterol is a building block for developing brains, hearts, and limbs.If you are taking a statin, tell your doctor immediately if you become pregnant or are thinking about having a baby. Other potentially telltale side effects of statins, particularly in older patients, include muscle and joint pain; stomach pain (which I tend to believe results from the degradation of muscles in the stomach and diaphragm); trouble swallowing (also a muscle problem); balance problems; and elevated liver enzymes. Statins can destroy your muscles. "Before you give up on a statin, try a different dose or a different statin," he says. But there are some things your doctor may not have told you about statins: Statins may not reduce your risk of death. If you've been prescribed a statin because you're in the primary prevention category, like 75 percent of all people who take the drugs, you'd do well to question whether you really need to be taking it, and whether it might be doing more harm than good. In the first case, you likely have high cholesterol but no known coronary artery disease; your doctor's assumption is that the statin will help prevent your from developing heart disease or having a heart attack. The symptoms of anxiety can be hard to detect. All rights reserved. A similar review of studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2010 found "little evidence that statins reduce the risk of dying from any cause in individuals without heart disease.". Data from the 2008 JUPITER Trial suggest a 54 percent heart attack risk reduction and a 48 percent stroke risk reduction in people at risk for heart disease who used statins as preventive medicine. In rare cases, people who take statins can see an increase in liver enzymes. From easier cramps to a heavier flow, here's a guide on what to expect decade by decade. Women who are breastfeeding should also not take statins. So what’s the debate? But routine testing is no longer required due to a lack of evidence that it made a difference in identifying these rare events. Exercise is probably the best way to boost protective HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. If you develop an infection and your doctor recommends treatment with an antibiotic or antifungal drug, make sure he or she knows you are taking a statin. How's your cholesterol these days? Credit: Statins increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. I tell patients with a cholesterol level of … To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter. They also found that statins … FACT: The most common side effect reported by statin users is muscle aches (myalgia), which occurs in less than 1 percent of patients and are often alleviated by switching to another brand of statin 11. In my view, however, statins are among the most ineffective and dangerous drugs on the market, largely because the doctors who prescribe them haven't done their homework. Statins inhibit cell growth in muscles, so from the time you start taking a statin, your muscle health is compromised — and statin-induced muscle conditions often don't go away when the drug is discontinued. The best bet may be not to take statins while the infection is being treated. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. In rare cases, people who take statins can see an increase in liver enzymes. Doctors explain how to tell if you have a head cold or something more serious that requires medical attention, such as the flu, strep throat, meningitis, or mono. When I see a patient who has been prescribed ropinirole (Requip) or another drug to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS), for example, I've learned to immediately check to see if there's a statin on board. The higher your dose, the more likely you are to experience aches and pains. The risk may be higher if you take other cholesterol-lowering medications along with statins. Next Avenue presents stories from our readers. Debate Over Statins Heating Up Their review found statins decrease energy and fitness, and increase fatigue and sleep problems. RELATED: 8 Women on the Weird Symptoms That Made Them Realize They Were Pregnant. In my judgment, muscle-related adverse effects are much more common than most research suggests because they often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Nearly always there is. These widely prescribed drugs have some potentially serious side effects. Drugs that interfere with the CYP3A4 pathway — or merely compete within it, as a regular statin dose would — can lead to a wide variety of adverse drug reactions, the buildup of drugs within the liver to toxic levels and the lessening of intended pharmacological effects. A comprehensive review of previous studies published in 2011 by the Cochrane Collaboration, a well-respected nonprofit research organization, found no "strong evidence" that statins reduce deaths from coronary heart disease among patients of any age who have not suffered a heart attack or other cardiovascular event. Liver enzyme testing is individualized based on each patient’s risk factors, explains Alfred Casale, MD, chair of the Geisinger Heart Institute in Danville, Pennsylvania. Your doctor believes the statin will help stave off another cardiac event. Corbis. 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