Muscular aches and pains are the most common. It’s natural to associate symptoms with a new tablet but we all get muscle aches from time to time, so it’s difficult to know if they are due to medication or just to do with everyday life. Most people experience no side effects from statins. For some, though, they are an issue. If this is the case, ask your doctor about trying a different statin. These are very powerful drugs and in the early days of statins, understandably, some people were concerned about potential undiscovered risks associated with them. They’re now one of the most investigated drugs, and we have lots of reliable data – some of which originated from work that’s been funded by the BHF – that show they are very safe and effective to take. How will taking a statin help me? This might be difficult to hear, but statins are most beneficial when you take them on a long-term basis. If you make big lifestyle changes or lose a lot of weight, you can discuss with your doctor if coming off statins is right for you. When should I take my statin? Sometimes, if you think a tablet might cause a nightmare, it can increase the risk of having one. For some types of statin, it’s better to take them at night, because that’s when they have a bigger effect on reducing cholesterol. However, the most important thing is that you take them regularly, rather than not at all. Are there any food or drinks I should avoid?

A Statin-Free Life: A Revolutionary Life Plan for Tackling A Statin-Free Life: A Revolutionary Life Plan for Tackling

About one in 250 people in the UK have familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), an inherited condition that causes high levels of cholesterol and which can also be treated with statins. Consequently, "meditation, yoga or something that reduces your stress levels will have a big impact." He cites an Indian study that found forty minutes of daily mediation had the strongest impact on heart disease reversal – "more than diet, more than exercise." If you’re taking simvastatin or atorvastatin, avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice as they can increase your risk of side effects. If you take another type of statin, limit your intake of grapefruit juice to very small amounts or avoid it altogether. Firstly, consider the benefits for you. For people diagnosed with coronary heart disease or stroke there is proven benefit, so your GP or cardiologist will recommend you take a statin. So what is the evidence for their benefits? Dr Aseem Malhotra, author of the bestselling The 21-Day Immunity Plan and co-author of the bestselling The Pioppi Diet , examines the claims for statins and their role in lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease. He introduces us to his targeted heart-health plan, which, with a diet plan, recipes and advice on reducing stress and increasing movement, can help us to live statin-free and take control of our own health.Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. Yet many report unacceptable side effects and a US survey revealed that 75 per cent of respondents stopped taking them within a year. They're all fighting to help heart patients: finding new, better treatments for people with heart and circulatory disease, and developing new ways to better prevent or diagnose it.

A Statin-Free Life - Google Books

The risks, as with all medicines, include possible side effects. Serious side effects are rare and can be reversed if you stop taking the statin. One risk is muscle pain, ranging from mild pain to a severe muscular problem called rhabdomyolysis.If you’re at high risk of heart and circulatory disease, you should have a chat with your GP before buying a statin. You may need to have a statin prescribed for you and the effects watched. How else can I lower my cholesterol? Your donations help us fund hundreds of top scientists all over the UK, working on more than a thousand different research projects. Exercise is important. "Exercise itself reduces insulin resistance. It keeps your cells more sensitive to insulin and therefore means there’s less insulin required to maintain your blood glucose in normal range, and therefore less damage to the cells of the inner lining of the heart arteries." Like all medications, statins have potential side effects. The most common are muscular aches and pains, but many people experience no side effects. There are other ways to reduce cholesterol, including: losing weight; being physically active; and following a healthy diet, inspired by the traditional Mediterranean diet.

Statins: Helpful or Harmful? with Dr. Aseem The Truth Behind Statins: Helpful or Harmful? with Dr. Aseem

It’s a useless biomarker in terms of predicting someone’s risk of heart disease and therefore we shouldn’t obsess about lowering it," he says. Instead, he believes the best predictor of the risk of heart disease is reached by measuring the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL, or 'good' cholesterol. Dr Malhotra, meanwhile, argues that patients in clinical trials on statins are often a "selected group" – chosen because they do "not suffer side effects from the drugs". Probably for the rest of your life, because they only work for as long as you continue taking them. How do I know if my statin is working? worth the read… very educational regarding heart health. Including lots of researched information for many scenarios (including People with genetically very high levels of LDL cholesterol diagnosed with FH familial hyperlipidaemia)~ definitely recommend

What side effects are there?

Weigh up the pros and cons of taking a statin and remember, a healthy diet, physical activity and not smoking are also important for your heart health. If you do experience side effects, or if your side effects change or become worse, tell your GP. Can I buy statins over the counter? Eat a healthy diet and avoid foods high in saturated fats. Plant sterols and stanols– which are added to certain drinks and foods – can help to reduce your cholesterol by up to 10 per cent. June Davison puts some of your questions to Professor Richard Hobbs, head of Primary Care (Health Sciences) at the University of Oxford and a part-time GP.