Statin Side Effects Often Manageable: Study

People who quit may do better with different type or dose of cholesterol-lowering drugs

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- Many people who quit taking their cholesterol-lowering statin drugs because of side effects can successfully try again, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that of more than 100,000 Boston-area adults who started a statin drug, 17 percent stopped taking it because of side effects -- most often, muscle aches. But within a year, more than half gave statins another chance, and most -- 90 percent -- were able to stick with it.

Experts said the findings, reported in the April 2 issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, show that people need not abandon statins if a potential side effect crops up.

In some cases, the problem may not be caused by the drug at all, said senior researcher Dr. Alexander Turchin, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"Muscle pain can happen with statins," he said, "but it can also have many other causes."

In other cases, Turchin said, people are having a real side effect, but might do better with a lower dose or with a different statin.

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Statin Side Effects Often Manageable: Study