Statin are drugs that are prescribed to patients with high LDL cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol is known as ‘bad’ cholesterol and it can increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease or suffering a heart attack or stroke.

It had been suggested that these drugs and they side affects attributed to them had been linked to causing health problems to those taking them. A major new analysis has found that ‘adverse events associated with statin therapy are not common’.

A recent study carried out in London supports this suggestion. The study focused on an analysis of 29 trials involving over 80,000 patients. Data relating to all adverse events and deaths was assessed. The found that in fact only a small number of symptomatic side-effects that were reported by people taking these drugs could actually be attributed to them.

The scientists called on drug regulators to provide clearer evidence and information to patients when it comes to side-effects. A spokesman said “We believe that patients should be empowered to make their own decisions, but we must first make sure they have top quality unbiased information. This is why we call on drug regulators to highlight in the long lists of side-effects those few whose rate is incrementally greater than that experienced with a dummy (placebo) tablet.”