Do I really need statins?

There are a number of cardiovascular risk predictors than can be used. However the more common ones used in the UK are the Joint British Societies Coronary Risk Prediction Chart (should be available on the British Hypertension Society website) and QRISK2 which is a newer system. It is important to use "pre-treatment" values for your blood pressure and cholesterol levels otherwise it will underestimate your risk. Perhaps I am being a bit biased but I have seen the effect of heart disease ranging from strokes to heart attacks. It comes down to a decision between yourself and your GP as to whether you want to take something as a preventative medicine.

Tarun (hospital pharmacist)

Is there a possibility that the doctor is recommending this for you just out of habit? I also am hesitant to use any 'preventative medication'.

Tarun, thank you for your reply!

I have found risk calculator QRISK2 and recieved that my risk of having a heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years is 8%.

From the Wikipedia: "A QRISK over 20 (20% risk of CVD event over the next ten years) indicates that primary prevention with lipid lowering therapy (such as statins) should be initiated."

Therefore just in case if a risk would be higher than 20% I should consider taking statins!

Well, I am not a doctor but I just able to find, read and treat data. Anyway, I am still confused.

Roverr

I am ecstatic that you've decided to do some research before accepting any medication.

I unfortunately did mine after the fact ( statin side effects) and suffered terribly.

What you've discovered is the tip of the iceberg so to speak. Please continue research and you'll find plenty of studies showing that cholesterol is essential for our bodies and it's not evil as the media, drug companies and some in the medical profession will have us believe.

During my research I discovered the death rate in heart disease is higher in people with low cholesterol?

And if cholesterol causes heart disease then how come people with low cholesterol suffer from it?

Questions that can't be answered by those who believe the cholesterol myth.

Beware statins is my experience. Started on Simvastatin which gave me ectopic heartbeats (I already have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation), took me a while to persuade my GP to try something else. Moved on to Rosuvastatin and got persistent lower back pain. After an x-ray showed some spine minor damage that should not account for the back pain my GP told me it was old age related (I'm 78) and told me to move on nothing to see here. This went on for a while so I saw another doctor who suggested Atorvastatin and within a few weeks the back pain had gone. I then developed persistent thigh muscle pain after Sciatica so the doctor (not my GP) suggested giving Atorvastatin a rest and within a month the pain had gone. An unexpected benefit,so far, in giving up statin is that I have not had another af episode.

I have read that Calcium-in-blood screening is a much better indicator of CVD risk than cholesterol or BP screening but as it's a more expensive, needs x-ray, it isn't used so widely.

But I'm sure your GP will tell you otherwise.

Dear Marco,

Thank you for sharing your experience. It is very important and instructive.

I have to say that of course there are a lot of discussions and contradictory data concerning of taking statins.

But almost everybody agreed that after certain age there is no sense at all to take it! Some scientists sure that after 75 much even better to have higher cholesterol level than so called normal level.

I know a man of 87 years old having some of health problems related to his age, but thanks to God he has a rather good heart. Last year his GP found that his cholesterol slightly (!) higher than normal and demanded to start taking statins. Today he is on statins. To be honest for me it sounds ridiculously to force a not very young person to take these medications to reduce the risk a bit (may be!) over the next 10 years.

Hi all,

I am 40 and have had high cholesterol for a while now. My GP here i Ireland mentioned this site and the QRik test. I am on the same line as Marco here. First, I did take statins, 3 or 4 different type, and keep on getting side effect, from Muscle pain/cramps to low moods ... I am terrified at statins but also conscious that, with 6,8, am I certainly at risk (with family history of high cholesterol).

Any of you has managed to lower cholesterol significantly without Statins? I am already a healthy person, don't smoke, excercise and all.

Hi fmossiere

There is so much info regarding foods that claim to lower cholesterol, please be careful when choosing products like ' flora' etc as these do NOT lower cholesterol.

In my personnel experience I would say eating a low carb diet is best. My cholesterol level was 7.5 put on statins and suffered a nightmare so took myself off them. By cutting down on carbs and using coconut oil for cooking my cholesterol went down to 6.2, that was almost a year ago, I now refuse cholesterol checks as I don't believe cholesterol causes heart disease so no point in me being tested when I know it's for no reason.

Sugar and stress cause heart disease and fortunately the medical profession are slowly but surely finally realising this.

I also have a history of heart disease in my family, my father died of a heart attack aged 55 and I'm now 53 but I refuse to blame my cholesterol level.

I don't expect everyone to agree with me so in answer to your question I'd suggest starting with the low carb diet and see how you go.

Sonya

Forgot to say I agree with Marco re calcium levels, that's a much better predictor for heart disease that cholesterol

I get confused by the Cholesterol debate by doctors.

Medics seem to be split on the benefits of Cholesterol, not 50/50 but nonetheless split. I've read articles by doctors advocating Cholesterol as they say there is research to suggest that it can reduce strokes and heart attacks and prolong life, but they never give the source of the research.

On the other hand a letter from a GP says there is no data that supports this assertion.

If anyone has source of data that supports the use of Cholesterol, please post.

Hi Roverr

Have just joined the site hence late reply

 

1. I have a probability of developing cardiovascular disease in next 10 years between 8.0 and 10 % despite my with high level of cholesterol. I can not explain this!

The answer, as i understand it is down to your youth.

At age 49 your chance of a major CV event befor the age of 60 is remote. 

HTH

Krs Roger

There are many factors that build on our individual future health risk picture,Total cholesterol and LDL/HDLratio are just one part.

The NICE guidelines that shape care advise that anyone with another risk factor such as Type 2 diabetes or in your case high blood pressure need to aim for a lower cholesterol reading. Statins may help but research suggests that adding diet changes as well are beneficial.

There are huge benefits to us all in influencing our health now for the future and time and time again research shows the same culprits are over years slowly shaping  health leading to chronic ill health. Wouldnt you want an opportunity to prevent ill health if you could?

So my advice is make little changes for huge benefits.

It is possible to rethink the food you eat , lose weight if needed. increase exercise Alter  drinking and smoking habits and look at ways you can manage stress in your life

I have performed over 1000 health checks and each person is different so we need to tailor support and make the advice meaningful and relevant.

The challenges for preventative health is that we dont feel unwell NOW!! So its difficult to see what the future holds or why the changes now will benefit future health. 

Any lifestyle changes you make now will increase energy wellbeing and delay or prevent future health problems . Its worth it.

Dear all,

Thanks for all of your contribution of the knowledge through this post. #I need your advice on my case.

I am a 37years old and my cholesterol level is 6.7. Been given 40mg of simvastatin daily for 3 months. I am rather a fit moderate active guy. Do I need the statin? or my GP was over concern about me!

I found it about 7years back that i was having just a little higher than the normal. back in 2012 it was 4.8 but all of sudden just found it last month 6.7. My blood pressure is as normal as it can be......i am quite active though not a hard core.....weekly once or twice moderate swimming, walks briskly about couple of mile on weekdays to commute.....not obese.....rather having a flat tummy. 

​Any advice will be much appreciated. 

Hello Roverr. I run at approx 7mmol/l and was advised to get on statins. I was prescribed Zuvamor (Rosuvastatin) and was on this for approximately 8 months. It was without a doubt the worst i have ever felt in my life ! I developed dizzy spells and bad bouts of vertigo within 5 months of being on this statin. I was constantly at doctors, ENT specialists trying to diagnose what was wrong with me. Lower back pain, joint pains, headaches, loss of appetite, weak, always tired.... were also on the list. I couldn't work most days and i exhausted my medical aid within 4 months going for Brain scans and all sorts of tests to try and get rid of the intense vertigo i experienced daily.

At this stage i started my own research and found many people with the same side effects and vertigo caused in my age group(48). Also within the same time period (first 6 months of being on the stuff) and very similar experiences !

I mentioned this to my doc and abviously he said i was going crazy !

To make a long story short, i stopped the statin and went through terrible cold turkey for a week (dizzy spells, intense vertigo, ringing in my ears and nausea from hell)

I am now 2 months off the "poison" and am getting stronger every day. The vertigo and nausea were gone within a week after suffering with them for 5 months.

Rosuvastatin was poison to my system ! I have never felt more alone and sick in all my life. Even my doctor and ENT specialist said i was wrong and wanted to do more extensive tests. The bottom line is these specialists don't know the effects of this drug just yet !!!

Look on-line and you will see just how many people give reports about these statins and they are mostly horror stories !!

That was my experience and i'm hoping someone will read this and benefit from it.

I am too scared to go anywhere near a statin again !! Try a different one ?? I think NOT !!

Good luck.

Cheers.

William.