![]() ![]() We’re closer to understanding a potential statin side effect: muscle pain These studies, among others, cemented the use for statins as a primary prevention measure.įor more articles like this direct to your inbox, sign up for our free monthly newsletter for healthcare professionals. The work, led by a team including BHF Professor Sir Rory Collins, found that heart attacks and strokes decreased by a quarter when statins were used. 7Īnd then from 1994 the Heart Protection Study, part-funded by the BHF, looked at statin use in people with risk factors for heart disease other than high cholesterol, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The results were successful: statins lowered the risk by almost a third. But how did they become routinely used in primary prevention, for people who are at risk of developing coronary heart disease?įrom 1989, BHF Professor Stuart Cobbe led a trial to see whether statins could reduce the risk of a first-time heart attack in people with raised blood cholesterol. Statins became available in the late 1980s to reduce the risk of further heart attacks in people who’d already had one. The BHF has powered statin research for decades 3ĭrugs such as atorvastatin and rosuvastatin coming off-patent in that time have contributed to substantially lowering NHS costs, even as use continues to rise. In contrast, the cost of dispensing those items fell from £460 million to £96 million during that time, a fall of 79% in ten years. Over 71.1 million statin prescription items were dispensed in England in 2018, up 46% since 2008. Statin use is at record levels – yet costs have fallen dramatically "Everyone is influenced to a certain degree by the media and this study emphasises why it is important that medical professionals, in particular, should be guided by the scientific evidence rather than opinion,” said Professor Peter Weissberg, former BHF Medical Director, at the time. Stopping statins early led to a 26% greater risk of a heart attack and an 18% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality. 5Ī 2015 Danish study found that every negative nationwide news story meant people were 9% more likely to stop taking statins. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that negative media reports about statin side effects can put patients off taking their statins - and research has put numbers to this effect.Ī 2016 BHF-funded study found that patients were 11% and 12% more likely to stop taking statins for primary and secondary prevention respectively, after a period in which statins received a lot of negative media coverage. We can quantify how negative headlines affect the likelihood of patients stopping statins “Age should not be a barrier to prescribing these potentially life-saving drugs to people who are likely to benefit,” said BHF Medical Director Professor Sir Nilesh Samani when the research was published. Even in the oldest group, statins lowered the risk of a severe event by up to 20% for every mmol/L reduction. For every mmol/L reduction in LDL cholesterol, statins reduced the risk of an MI by 25% and a stroke by 21% across all age groups. The study by scientists at the University of Oxford and University of Sydney looked at statin effectiveness in different age groups, ranging from under 55 to over 76 years. Statins can help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in older people, just as they do in younger people, according to research part-funded by the BHF. ![]() With that in mind, here are 10 facts about statins that you might not know. This means staying on top of the latest research and evidence. It’s vital for healthcare professionals to ensure patients are well informed and are partners in decision-making about treatments. These may lead to concern about side effects that might typically be uncommon or rare, which can ultimately affect treatment adherence. Patient behaviour can be swayed by negative headlines. ![]() But the nature of how the drugs are used – as a preventive treatment prescribed at scale – can court controversy in the media. The NHS, NICE, other guideline bodies in the UK, the BHF and many organisations strongly support the use of statins to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK: around 7-8 million adults in the UK take them, and over 71 million prescription items were dispensed in 2018. ![]()
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