Shedding light on recent statin warnings

Recent research from the US has shown the statin class of cholesterol-lowering drugs may slightly increase the risk of diabetes and memory problems, resulting in warnings about these risks being included inside medicine packages in the US.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia is currently reviewing the evidence for these safety-related changes to label information made by the US Federal Drug Administration and will update the product information for these medicines where necessary.

In the meantime, NPS is urging people taking statins to continue to take their medicine as prescribed and to see their doctor if they are unsure about the benefit of the medicine for them.

Statins are recommended for people at high risk of cardiovascular events, such as a heart attack or stroke. The risk of developing diabetes with statins is small compared with their benefits for preventing heart attacks, strokes and deaths from such events.

Evidence shows that for every 255 people treated with a statin for four years, at least five major coronary events are avoided, while there is one extra case of diabetes.

The benefits of statins are less for people at low risk of cardiovascular events. Taking a medicine without a clear benefit is unwise, and people with few risk factors for cardiovascular disease who are taking a statin should ask their doctor about their risk of having a heart attack or stroke and their need for statin therapy.

Patients taking statins should be encouraged to have their heart and stroke risk score determined by their doctor to decide if the benefits of the statin outweigh the risk of side effects. It is also beneficial to discuss lifestyle changes with patients at both low and high risk of cardiovascular events, such as giving up smoking, exercising more regularly and eating more healthily.

(Source: NPS)