Statins

[robert551069]

Doctors are recommending that everyone over 50 should take a daily statin tablet to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

[woofgang]

and the question is?

[LoftyLottie]

.................. and put up with the horrible side effects that goes with them, I suppose. I don't know anybody who hasn't suffered with muscular aches and pains or cramps because of them. If you have been diagnosed as needing to take them, then fair enough. They might well save strokes or heart attacks in a few people, but why dish them out to sweeties for people that don't need them.

[anneasquith]

ive been on statins for a while............... with no side effects.

[douglas9401]

I don't think we've met LoftyLottie, but I'm one of those people who hasn't suffered. :)

[LoftyLottie]

Lucky you Anne. Seriously, you are the first person I know (well I don't know you really) who has had no side effects.

Personally, I wouldn't take them without good reason.

[LoftyLottie]

I can see I have opened up a can of worms :o).

[LoftyLottie]

I certainly don't believe in taking in drugs 'just in case' though.

[anneasquith]

i am lucky lottie, but prevention is better than cure ?

[LoftyLottie]

To a degree Anne, but not when it comes to taking drugs in my opinion (and my GP's incidentally).

[slaney]

I presume you are referring to this robert ..

http://www.telegraph....-researchers-say.html

But for people without a history of cardiovascular disease (primary prevention) it's less clear. This is from the Cochrane Database - scroll down to Plain language summary -
http://onlinelibrary....D004816.pub4/abstract

[woofgang]

so "doctors" don't recommend it, one doctor does.....

[Sqad]

It changes almost daily now ;-)

If one has had a heart attack or a stroke or a family history of heart attack or stroke, then one should take statins. If one had a high cholesterol or high LDL (low density lipoprotien , then one should take statins.

The "rub" comes as to if the large group of over 50's, with no past history of cardiovascular disease should take statins as "preventative measure."

Two eminent professors of cardiology agree that ALL over 50's should take statins and that many American Cardiologists have already come to that conclusion

It would seem that the evidence produced by recent studies is compelling for the male over 50's but much less so for the female over 50's.
Studies are ongoing, so watch this space.

I have changed my mind about side effects of statins and i now feel that they have been exaggerated.

[Bazile]

Are you taking statins , sqad ?

[Sqad]

Bazille........ yes.....because I have had heart bypass surgery.

[mike11111]

I am on statins. I stopped taking them after developing pains in my left shoulder, as a result of which my cholestorol level rose. I was persuaded to restart them, which I did with no ill effects, so I assume that the shoulder pain (since gone) was merely coincidental. I have read that people on statins should not consume grapefruit (though why this should be different from any other citrus fruit I do not know). I did however read on the internet (which is always to be believed) that this applies only to certain types of statin, and that thee type I take, Pravastatin, allows me to consume grapefruit with impunity. Perhaps Sqad can confirm or otherwise.

[Sqad]

mike.......official opinion....there is drug interaction with grapefruit and Simvastatin.

My opinion.............if i was on Simvastatin and i wanted grapefruit for breakfast then i would bloody well have grapefruit for breakfast.

[Bazile]

I take the blood pressure tablet , Verapamil Hydrochloride - on the dispensing label it says don't eat or drink grapefruit juice

[Bazile]

sqad - in my case i assume it is also drug interaction

What would be the manifestation of that drug interaction

[mike11111]

Just to clarify things, Sqad, it is Simvastatin which is the proverbial in the woodpile; Pravastatin does not interract with grapefruit?

[Sqad]

Bazile......the drug interaction with grapefruit juice is "ill understood" but it is thought to increase the blood levels of Verapamil causing the need to reduce the dose to counteract the exaggerated drop in BP which MAY ensue.