It’s possible that the fear of statin side effects is exaggerated. One recent meta-analysis of data from 23 large-scale randomized studies revealed that statins don’t cause the majority of the side effects listed in the product packaging. And muscle pain, the best-known statin side effect, only impacted roughly 1 percent of users. Miller says if you do experience muscle pain, it should resolve within a week of stopping the statin.
“Statins are safe,” Miller says. “Does that mean that everybody that takes a statin is going to be free of side effects? Of course not.”
Those who don’t tolerate statins well may also switch to less frequent dosing — every other day instead of daily — and still see reductions in LDL, Miller says. In addition, there are other medications to try, such as ezetimibe (a non-statin pill that reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food) and PCSK9 inhibitors (injectable medications that help the liver remove LDL from the blood).
“I encourage all patients to address their concerns with their healthcare providers so we can find the right recipe for them,” Gaznabi says.
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