Benefits of Taking Statins More Important than the Risks

October 21, 2013 robot Health

There are many men and women who are taking statins, medical news reports say, although there were some people who have experienced health complications while taking these cholesterol-lowering drugs. Patients who have experienced severe complications from the medications are now questioning the effects of these medications if they do really outweigh the risks. The deputy director of the FDA’s Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products (DMEP), Dr Amy G. Egan, believes that the benefits of statins are indisputable. The FDA urges patients not to discontinue their medications without notifying their doctors and to notify their health care providers of the symptoms.

It was in first used in the early 60’s to prevent heart diseases and stroke by lowering the bad cholesterol. The use of statins has gone a long way since it was first introduced and it is now being use as preventive treatment for stroke and heart attack. There are several side effects to using this medication and it has affected the lives several men and women, studies show.

The new information released by the FDA to inform health care providers and patients of the possible side effects of statins:

– Diabetes

• Type 2 diabetes is one of the problems that develop among statin users. Blood sugar levels may need to be monitored regularly to detect its rise.

– Memory loss

• Forgetfulness and confusion have been report by several individuals. These unfocused thinking manifested after taking these drugs but disappeared shortly after discontinuing it, patients shared.

– Muscle damage

• Muscle weakness and other problems have been reported by patients who have taken these cholesterol-lowering drugs. Those who are taking other medication together with statins are more likely to experience this side effect.

– Liver injury

• It is a rare complication but may also occur because statins work directly on the liver to reduce the production of cholesterol. A regular liver enzyme test may be performed after taking a baseline data before starting the treatment.

The new safety information added by the FDA will change the labels of some of the popular brands of statins. A close monitoring of the men and women taking these drugs may ensue because of the possible side effects. Patients have reported that they were unaware of these risks. Those who would want to know more about this may visit the http://lipitorlawyer.tumblr.com for more information.

URL References:

nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dhd/

fda.gov/downloads/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/UCM293705.pdf

healthland.time.com/2012/08/10/should-you-take-statins-study-says-heart-benefits-outweigh-diabetes-risk/

haydeninstitute.com/additional-resources/additional-resources-medication-and-side-effects/pfizer-ads-come-clean-about-lipitor

Health, medicine, Side Effects, Statins,