Statins. Barely a month goes by without the cholesterol-lowering drugs hitting the headlines, often after apparently contradictory new research. Doctors prescribe too many. We prescribe too few. GPs underplay side-effects, while patients exaggerate them. They work well. Their benefits are tiny. Little wonder so many people — medics and the public — are confused.
However, there is one thing on which statin evangelists and sceptics can agree: if you have decided to take one, do it properly or don’t bother. And the latest research, published in the journal Heart, suggests that about half those prescribed a statin in the UK are not getting the full benefit because they are not taking it regularly or are not on the right drug at the right dose.
