The Mayo Clinic says along with its needed effects, statins may cause some unwanted effects. It says pain or tenderness around the eyes and cheekbones is something you should “check with your doctor immediately”. The NHS says there are five types of statin available on prescription in the UK. They include atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin.
Lovastatin is also used elsewhere to decrease the amount of cholesterol and other fatty substances in your blood.
If you think you’re experiencing side effects from statins, don’t just stop taking the pills, says the Mayo Clinic.
The organisation suggests: “Talk to your doctor to see if a change of dosage or even a different type of medication might be helpful.”
The NHS says: “Your doctor should discuss the risks and benefits of taking statins if they’re offered to you.”
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“Speak to your doctor if you have muscle pain, tenderness or weakness that cannot be explained – for example, pain that is not caused by physical work,” it suggests.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says: “A research study suggested that in very rare cases statins may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”
However it notes statins are among the safest and the most studied medications available today.
The charity says low-dose statins are available at some pharmacies without a prescription, but they are not a substitute for prescription statins or for making lifestyle changes to reduce your cholesterol level.
The NHS notes a review of scientific studies into the effectiveness of statins found around one in every 50 people who take the medicine for five years will avoid a serious event, such as a heart attack or stroke, as a result.
The Mayo Clinic says: “There are many drugs that may interact with statins, so be sure your doctor is aware of all the medicines you take when being prescribed with statins.”
The NHS says statins come as tablets that are taken once a day. It notes that for some types of statin it does not matter what time of day you take it, as long as you stick to the same time, though some types of statin should be taken in the evening.
“Check with your doctor whether there’s a particular time of day you should take your statin,” it advises.
The NHS recommends maintaining cholesterol levels below 5mmol/L. In the UK, however, three out of five adults have a total cholesterol of 5mmol/L or above, and the average cholesterol level is about 5.7mmol/L, which can be a risk factor in heart disease.
The BHF says that the main differences are in how much they lower cholesterol.
It explains: “They can be split into two groups – low-intensity statins (for example, pravastatin and simvastatin) and high-intensity statins (such as atorvastatin and rosuvastatin).
“For most people, a lower-intensity statin will be enough to reduce their cholesterol sufficiently, but if it’s not, your doctor may want to increase the dose or switch to a higher-intensity one.”
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