Breaking news
Statins ‘cut risk of Covid death’: Study finds cholesterol drugs taken by eight million Britons reduce chance of dying to virus by 43% in hospital patients Statins tackle ‘bad’ blood cholesterol and they are used by eight million Britons A study has now found giving statins to Covid patients can reduce death risk The study was … Read more
Eight million people in the UK take statins every day. But could inhaling them rather than taking them in pill form prevent common side-effects? Statins, one of the most widely prescribed drugs, are taken to reduce levels of ‘bad’ LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the body. When it builds up in the blood, LDL cholesterol … Read more
Statins side effects are caused by ‘nocebo’ effect when patients fall ill because they believe pills will do them harm even before they take them, study says ‘Nocebo effect’ could account for 90 per cent of statin side effects experienced A study found that those taking a dummy pill reported very similar side effects A … Read more
Statins are just as effective at reducing the risk of heart attacks and stroke in people over the age of 70 as they are in younger people, according to a new study. Researchers from from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, part of Harvard Medical School, analysed data on 240,000 people to better understand the impact of … Read more
Statins made my legs ache, but when I stopped them I developed severe pins and needles, and it’s now painful to walk any distance. Is there anything I can do? Colin Bower, Nottingham. Your symptoms are highly suggestive of peripheral neuropathy, a common condition that occurs when the peripheral nerves — which run from the … Read more
About 80 per cent of high risk patients taking statins for cardiovascular disease still have high cholesterol and may need higher dose medication, study finds. Researchers from Imperial College London analysed the findings of a major study of cardiovascular patients in 18 European countries including the UK. Those at the highest risk of cardiovascular ‘events’ … Read more
Statins are not particularly effective at reducing the risk of dying from heart disease, a study claims. Scientists analysed 35 studies into the effects of the drugs which lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and found the pills have no consistent benefit. The research, published in the British Medical Journal, found three quarters of all trials reported … Read more
Statins, the controversial pills prescribed to lower cholesterol, slash the risk of early death in people aged over 75 by a quarter, a study shows. It found that the risk of dying from a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, was 20 per cent lower for those taking took statins. The benefits … Read more
Giving hospitalised Covid-19 patients statins could cut their risk of dying or needing to be hooked up to a ventilator, a study has suggested. Chinese researchers found severely-ill patients given the cholesterol-busting drugs – which can cost just pennies – were up to 45 per cent less likely to die. And data showed statins cut … Read more
I was prescribed statins to lower my cholesterol but, after a couple of months, my hair is starting to thin. I want to lower my cholesterol but not lose my hair. Mrs P. Nicholson, Hornchurch, Essex. Hair loss, technically described as alopecia, has been reported as a rare side-effect of all statins. Many other drugs … Read more