muscle pain side effects of heart drug statins
Researchers launch new £1million probe into possible muscle pain side effects of heart drug statins
New study will examine whether controversial statins cause side effects Side effects include depression, fatigue, diabetes and severe muscle pain Research suggests doctors have been overestimating the risks of strokes
The Government is set to fund the new £1million groundbreaking trial
Those eligible to take the drugs - which are the most commonly prescribed treatment in the UK - has increased to around one in four adults, which equates to 12 million people.
The groundbreaking study, which received a grant from the National Institute of Health Research, will assess the risk of muscle pain and has been backed by health experts.
Professor Jane Armitage, an expert in public health medicine at the University of Oxford, is a key researcher for the trial.
She believes any side effects caused by the drugs are rare and is confident that statins do not increase the risk of muscle pain in most patients.
Professor Armitage told the Sunday Express: 'The evidence suggests statins are safe and undoubtedly reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke.'
The British Heart Foundation also believes statins are safe.
But cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra said: 'I have no doubt millions of people taking statins in the UK will not benefit but are being put at risk of unnecessary harm.'
The new trial will involve 200 patients who have stopped or want to stop using statins due to muscle pain or fatigue.
It will investigate whether muscle issues are more common in those using the statins than those taking a dummy drug.
The study comes after GPs were told last week that the computer system they use to evaluate heart attack risk before deciding whether or not to prescribe statins contained a bug.
Experts suggested some patients wrongly denied the drugs may have gone on to die while others given them for no reason may have suffered side effects.
The software is used by a third of GP surgeries in England after it was introduced seven years ago.
Concerns about statins were raised earlier this year by the Queen's former doctor, Sir Richard Thompson, who called for an independent inquiry.
New study will examine whether controversial statins cause side effects Side effects include depression, fatigue, diabetes and severe muscle pain Research suggests doctors have been overestimating the risks of strokesThe Government is set to fund the new £1million groundbreaking trial
Those eligible to take the drugs - which are the most commonly prescribed treatment in the UK - has increased to around one in four adults, which equates to 12 million people.
The groundbreaking study, which received a grant from the National Institute of Health Research, will assess the risk of muscle pain and has been backed by health experts.
Professor Jane Armitage, an expert in public health medicine at the University of Oxford, is a key researcher for the trial.
She believes any side effects caused by the drugs are rare and is confident that statins do not increase the risk of muscle pain in most patients.
Professor Armitage told the Sunday Express: 'The evidence suggests statins are safe and undoubtedly reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke.'
The British Heart Foundation also believes statins are safe.
But cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra said: 'I have no doubt millions of people taking statins in the UK will not benefit but are being put at risk of unnecessary harm.'
The new trial will involve 200 patients who have stopped or want to stop using statins due to muscle pain or fatigue.
It will investigate whether muscle issues are more common in those using the statins than those taking a dummy drug.
The study comes after GPs were told last week that the computer system they use to evaluate heart attack risk before deciding whether or not to prescribe statins contained a bug.
Experts suggested some patients wrongly denied the drugs may have gone on to die while others given them for no reason may have suffered side effects.
The software is used by a third of GP surgeries in England after it was introduced seven years ago.
Concerns about statins were raised earlier this year by the Queen's former doctor, Sir Richard Thompson, who called for an independent inquiry.
posted by Bill at
1:12 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home