The statins dilemma

EVERY one of the six million Britons taking statins must have been left bewildered and confused by the entirely conflicting advice they receive about the safety of their drugs.

One week a medical journal concludes statins’ ability to cut the risk of heart attacks is hugely underestimated and the risks overdone. Then the next another warns side-effects such as muscle pain, headaches and diabetes are worse than thought. Statins are the most commonly prescribed drug in the NHS. Isn’t it about time health chiefs gave us some definitive answers?