If you've had a heart attack or stroke, have type 2 diabetes or have been told by your doctor you're at very high risk of heart attack or stroke, the answer is categorically yes. Statins are a class of prescription drugs that help to lower cholesterol. If you experience serious side effects or aren’t a statin candidate, your doctor may prescribe another type of medication to treat your cholesterol levels. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. We set out what you need to know if you have been advised to start taking them. Patient Platform Limited has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. However, if you change your lifestyle significantly, you may be able to go off the medication. All medicines can have side effects. You might be offered a statin if you have too much LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in your blood - whether it’s caused by your lifestyle or by genetic conditions which … In 2014, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) did just that. Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. His interpretation was that statins did not save lives in people at low risk of heart disease, and the side-effects of statins had been underestimated. It includes diagrams to show the benefits of statins for different levels of CVD risk. He commented that 'if you want to see the nocebo effect in action, when sitting on a sofa with friends, suddenly ask: "Does this thing have fleas in it?"'. Walk, bike, swim, or do anything to get your heart pumping. This also makes plaque less likely to rupture in the heart, lowering the risk of a heart attack. Losing excess weight — even 5 to 10 pounds — and regularly engaging in physical activity can help improve your cholesterol numbers. Even if your cholesterol levels decrease, you may still need to take the medication. Registered in England and Wales. The great debate rumbles on. In 2014 two authors of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) issued a public retraction of their claims about how common side-effects on statins are, because they have admitted the calculations in their paper were wrong. Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money 20 Easy Scholarships to Enter in 2020 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. If not, now is the time to do so. That's not because I don't believe in statins - they are extremely effective at lowering cholesterol, and therefore cutting your risk of heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol — a fat-like waxy substance found in all cells — is necessary for the body to function. One of the chief benefits of statins for cholesterol reduction is that most of these drugs can produce a noticeable effect in relatively little time. Statins slow down the liver’s production of cholesterol by interfering with a key enzyme. However, all medicines carry risks as well as benefits, and as a doctor I weigh up these risks and benefits every time I prescribe a medicine. For the second half of the study, both groups were offered the statins and knew they were taking them. He claimed that the scare story was probably killing more people than had been harmed by the scandal which followed the publication of the (now discredited) story on MMR and autism. Try our Symptom Checker Got any other symptoms? Squaring up on the other side of the ring are those who believe they do more harm than good. This combination drug lowers the absorption of cholesterol in your small intestine and your liver’s cholesterol production. You may need to try two to three different statins before finding the one that’s the most effective for you. I don't think this is the best way to deal with the problem of raised cholesterol. We hear a lot about the dangers of high cholesterol, but unless you have a blood test, you have ... Dr Ben Goldacre, one of the authors of the study, talked about the 'nocebo' effect - if you think you might get a side-effect, you're more likely to. In 2005, almost every newspaper's front page covered the findings of a meta-analysis (a study combining lots of smaller related studies) involving over 90,000 people taking statins. You might also want to ask yourself if there are changes you could make to your lifestyle that would cut your risk enough to take you out of a high-risk category. As your body adjusts to the medication, the side effects often go away. © Patient Platform Limited. In comparison to other methods, the decrease in bad cholesterol over the course of even a single month will be significant. Statins Can Reduce Risk of a Heart Attack for Adults of All Ages, Providence Medicare Advantage: A Guide to Your 2021 Plan Options, Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, What to Do If Your Baby Shows Signs of Pink Eye, take multiple medications to lower your cholesterol, helps fight inflammation, which can reduce artery damage, risk of liver damage and kidney failure when mixed with grapefruit, people with type 2 diabetes who are between 40 and 75 years old, people who have a higher 10-year risk of heart attack, soluble fiber, found in oatmeal, prunes, apples, pears, kidney beans, and barley, fatty fish like herring, salmon, and halibut, foods fortified with plant-based substances called sterols, such as yogurt drinks, margarines, or orange juice, whole-grain, high-fiber, unprocessed grains. These groups are at high risk of having a stroke or heart attack: Taking statins is often (but not always) a lifelong commitment. The pros and cons of statins. Uses, Benefits, and Food List, Both Red and White Meat Raise Cholesterol Levels, Study Finds, Teens’ Cholesterol Levels Improve, but Only Half Have Ideal Numbers, Hate Statins? Suddenly the number of people complaining of muscle pain in the treatment arm was much higher than those not taking tablets. Patient is a UK registered trade mark. It turned out that the number of people experiencing side-effects in the statin arm of the studies was basically identical to the number of side-effects seen with placebo. What happens if you catch flu and COVID-19 at the same time? Otherwise, your levels will likely go back up once you’re off the meds.