SAFETY OF STATINS

Abstract

Statins the most widely used drugs in the market for lipid lowering purpose areconsidered to be as safe as they used to be considered in the past. Initially theside effects used to be considered as only myalgias and liver dysfunction but lateron after a decade of its use more and more side effects of greater concern arecoming up.

The risk was found to be dose-dependent for simvastatin and atorvastatin, which were taken by 388 and 1409 participants,respectively. High-dose simvastatin was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.44 for diabetes vs 1.28 for low-dose therapy,while the HR for diabetes with high-dose atorvastatin was 1.37. The study mentioned that people who are taking statins shouldalways under strict check for diabetes. In the JUPITER, primary-prevention trial, the risk of developing diabetes mellitus withstatin therapy is limited to patients already at a high risk for developing diabetes, such as those with impaired fasting glucose,5 metabolic syndrome, severe obesity, or raised hemoglobin A (HbA ) levels. However, in these high-risk patients, as well as in 1c 1cthe entire study cohort, the benefits of statin therapy exceeded the risk of diabetes and should reassure physicians about the use6 of statins for the primary prevention of reducing MI, stroke, and cardiovascular death.

The ultimate conclusion seems to be "People who are taking statins should keep taking statins, if there's an appropriate reasonfor them taking a statin. The risk/benefit ratio in most people is in favor of benefit; the risk is outweighed by that benefit,”