Statins are widely used to lower levels of bad cholesterol and have proven effective in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, although concerns about their side effects persist.
However, a comprehensive research review that analyzed large-scale data from randomized clinical trials involving tens of thousands of participants worldwide confirms that statins do not cause most of the common side effects attributed to them, such as memory loss, depression, sleep disturbances, and erectile dysfunction.
The research team, led by researchers from the Department of Population Health at Oxford University, relied on data from 23 randomized clinical trials, involving more than 150,000 participants, comparing statin users with placebos, as well as studies comparing intensive and non-intensive doses.
The results showed a high degree of similarity in symptom reporting rates between the two groups, suggesting no direct causal relationship between most of these symptoms and statin use. The reported rate of memory or cognitive impairment was 0.2% annually in both groups.
The study showed no statistically significant increase in the rates of dementia, depression, sleep disorders, erectile dysfunction, headaches, fatigue, weight gain, or nausea. Conversely, a slight increase of approximately 0.1% was observed in liver function disorders, with no additional cases of serious liver disease reported.
Christina Reith, an associate professor at Oxford University and the lead author of the study, said that statins have saved millions of lives over the past decades, but uncertain concerns about their safety have deprived many of their benefits, stressing that the study's results boost confidence in these drugs.
Previous research by the same team has alsoshown that statin-related muscle symptoms are rare, affecting only a limited percentage during the first year of treatment, in addition to the possibility of a slight increase in blood sugar levels in some patients at risk of developing diabetes.
Professor Brian Williams, Chief Scientific Officer at the British Heart Foundation, confirmed that these results represent a clear scientific response to the misinformation circulating about statins, and contribute to protecting patients from unjustified discontinuation of treatment.
Professor Rory Collins, the lead author of the study, explained that many of the warnings in drug leaflets were based on inaccurate studies, noting that this review relied on large-scale double-blind trials, making its results more reliable.
The study included trials that lasted an average of five years, with more than a thousand participants in each trial, while adhering to strict scientific standards to minimize the chances of bias, with the aim of providing an accurate picture of the long-term safety of statin use.
The study was published in the medical journal "The Lancet".
