The NHS has been advised to prescribe more statin pills to cut heart attack and strokes
(Picture: Pexels)Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the UK.
According to the British Heart Foundation, 160,000 people die from it each year, which equates to an average of 460 deaths per day.
Statin pills are already a medication that the NHS prescribes to patients. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has now published an updated guidance draft, which advises doctors to lower their threshold for offering the pill.
Currently, patients who have a 10 per cent or higher risk over 10 years of a cardiovascular event are offered a statin.
The new guidance urges doctors to consider statins, which are a relatively affordable form of medication, for people below that threshold.
What are statins?
Statins are medicines that focus on lowering the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, colloquially referred to as “bad cholesterol”, in the blood.
High levels of LDL cholesterol can potentially lead to hardened and narrowed arteries, and cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes.
Whether or not a patient is prescribed statins will depend on a number of factors including their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, family history of cardiovascular disease, smoking habits, height and weight, and more.
If prescribed, patients are asked to take one tablet a day.
Currently, five types of statin are available and prescribed by doctors in the UK.
What are the side effects of statins?
The NHS shares that many people who take statins experience no or very few side effects.
Common side effects include nausea, digestive problems, headaches, sleep issues, and dizziness.
On the other hand, uncommon side effects are memory problems, hair loss, inflammation of the liver or pancreas, skin problems like acne, and sexual issues like erectile dysfunction.
Some patients also develop a rare side effect known as “myopathy”, which sees muscle tissue become damaged and painful. Severe cases of myopathy can also lead to kidney damage.
There are a number of characteristics that increase the risk of developing this side effect, including being over 70, having a history of liver disease, and regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol.
Which medications interact with statins?
Statins can unpredictably react with certain other medications, including antibiotics, certain HIV medicines, and some cholesterol and cardiovascular medicines, among others.
The NHS advises that patients discuss any and all medicines they might be taking before they start statins.
Grapefruit juice has also been found to affect some statins and increase the risk of side effects. Thus, your doctor may ask you to stop consuming it if you’re taking them.
