Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Safety Alerts Cite Cholesterol Drugs? Side Effects
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: February 28, 2012
Federal health officials on Tuesday added new safety alerts to statins, cholesterol-reducing medications that are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, citing the rare risks of memory loss, increased blood sugar levels and muscle pain.
It is the first time that the Food and Drug Administration has officially linked statin use with cognitive problems like forgetfulness and confusion, although some patients have reported such problems for years. Among the drugs affected are such huge sellers as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor and Vytorin.
Numerous studies have shown that statin therapy decreases the risk of death in high-risk patients, but debate has raged for years about whether those at moderate risk for heart problems should be placed on statin therapy. The federal alerts about the risks of statin therapy are likely to cheer those who have insisted that statin therapy should not be recommended to patients who are not at high risk of heart disease or heart attack.
Read more - The New York Times
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: February 28, 2012
Federal health officials on Tuesday added new safety alerts to statins, cholesterol-reducing medications that are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, citing the rare risks of memory loss, increased blood sugar levels and muscle pain.
It is the first time that the Food and Drug Administration has officially linked statin use with cognitive problems like forgetfulness and confusion, although some patients have reported such problems for years. Among the drugs affected are such huge sellers as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor and Vytorin.
Numerous studies have shown that statin therapy decreases the risk of death in high-risk patients, but debate has raged for years about whether those at moderate risk for heart problems should be placed on statin therapy. The federal alerts about the risks of statin therapy are likely to cheer those who have insisted that statin therapy should not be recommended to patients who are not at high risk of heart disease or heart attack.
Read more - The New York Times