Between eight and ten million Britons take statins, the most widely prescribed drugs in the UK. However figures from the medicines’ watchdog have led to calls for an urgent review of the safety of statins with experts claiming the harm may outweigh any potential benefit in low risk patients.
The figures, compiled by this paper cast further doubt on NICE’s decision to lower the prescribing threshold so that the drugs are given to low risk patients and include up to 17 million patients, almost 40 percent of the adult population.
The data, compiled from reports recorded by the government drug watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, reveals there have been tens of thousands of reported side-effects linked to statins since the drugs came into widespread use over the last two decades.
Many surround issues of muscle degeneration and muscle weakness, sometimes leading to death due to kidney failure.
Dr Malcolm Kendrick, who has studied the effects of statins said: “These reports are just the tip of the iceberg as most doctors do not report side effects. The data uncovered is very alarming and shows the risks of these drugs have been downplayed. For many patients the benefits of statins may not be worth the harms.”
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Eddie
2 comments:
Statins are such huge business for the companies that make them. It should be people before money but somewhere in society this has been forgotten and no longer acknowledged.
Ted.
Many thanks for taking time to read and leaving your comment Ted ... it's appreciated.
All the best Jan
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