The side effects from statins

Q: My doctor has told me to start taking a statin — atorvastatin — but I’ve heard muscle pain and dementia are possible side effects. Do you know how risky it is?

Katylin F., Franklin, Tennessee A: People’s reactions to medications are often complex and hard to unravel.

Statins are a good example of that. Nationally, up to 50% of patients prescribed statins either take reduced doses or go off the meds completely because they feel they’re having a negative reaction to the drug. Complaints include muscle pain, headache, dizziness and nausea.

That’s a shame, because statins are proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and of dying from associated vascular or heart-related complication, such as blood clots, strokes and heart attack.

Now, a meta-study published in the European Heart Journal has figured out how many folks worldwide are really intolerant of statins: 9%. However, the international group of researchers who looked at 176 studies that included more than 4 million patients did find that some subgroups of people have elevated risks for statin intolerance: They are people who are older, female, Black or Asian, obese, abuse alcohol or have diabetes, an underactive thyroid gland or chronic liver or kidney failure. Certain medications, including drugs to control arrhythmia and calcium channel blockers, also up the risk of statin intolerance.

As for dementia, atorvastatin and rosuvastatin decrease inflammation and may actually decrease the risk of dementia.

So talk with your doctor about your risk factors and ask what the lowest dose you can take might be. Then give the statin a try along with aggressive lifestyle changes that will protect your cardiovascular health. Ditch red or processed meats, highly-processed foods and added sweets and sugars, and opt for moderate or no alcohol consumption and a plant-based diet. Your goal? An LDL under 70 or apolipoprotein B under 70. For solid guidance on making these choices, take a look at my books “What to Eat When” and the “What to Eat When Cookbook.”