Do you know about new safety warnings of statin drugs??

What are statins?

Statins block the enzyme in the liver that is responsible for making cholesterol. This enzyme is called hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase). Scientifically, statins are referred to as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

Most serious side effect:

The most serious (but fortunately rare) side effects are liver failure and rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a serious side effect in which there is damage to muscles. Rhabdomyolysis often begins as muscle pain and can progress to loss of muscle cells, kidney failure, and death.

Main Story:

On February 28, federal health officials added new safety alerts to the prescribing information for statin drugs, citing increased risks of memory loss, diabetes and muscle pain. It is the first time the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially linked statins to cognitive problems like forgetfulness and confusion, though such problems have been reported for several years.

Statin drugs, which are widely known as cholesterol-lowering medications, are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world with annual sales of tens of billions of dollars. In the United States alone, almost 32 million people regularly take statins. Despite the new warnings and several studies linking statins to increased incidences of a wide variety of health problems, FDA officials and some mainstream medical professionals said the new warnings should not scare people away from statins.

Dr. Amy G. Egan, deputy director for safety in the FDA's division of metabolism and endocrinology products, was quoted in aNew York Timesarticle as saying, "The value of statins in preventing heart disease has been clearly established. Their benefit is indisputable, but they need to be taken with care and knowledge of their side effects."

In the same article, Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, said that diabetic patients and even those who develop diabetes while taking statins should continue taking the medicines. According to Nissen, the new warnings "are not major issues" and should not "alter the decision-making process with regard to statins."

Resources: http://www.naturalnews.com/035131_statin_drugs_safety_warnings_muscle_pain.html#ixzz1o7gszDwb

Posted in: My reviews,Pharma news