Similar Side Effects of Statins from Dumpy Pills, Experienced by Patients

Imperial College London researchers from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust conducted a clinical trial that reveals 90 percent of patients' symptoms while taking statins were all present when they took placebo pills.

According to WebMD, statins are a class of drugs often prescribed by doctors to lower cholesterol levels present in the blood. They added that lowering cholesterol levels may decrease the risk of an individual to strokes and heart attack. In 2011, Harvard Medical School said that noted that almost 32 million Americans are taking statins. WebMD added that 15-20 million people should be taking statin drugs based on their heart disease risk factors.

In the release by Imperial College London, they mentioned a study that shows statin could diminish the risk of heart attack, death from heart disease, and stroke in certain people by about 25-35 percent. They added that most people continue taking the drug but about one-fifth of patients stop taking them because of reported side effects like fatigue, joint pain, or muscle pain.

(Photo: Milius007)
research reveals that the nocebo effect causes the side effects of statins such as muscle pains

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Statin's effect

According to the release, the new study's researchers say that the nocebo effect's side effects are caused. People encounter side effects from therapy because of a negative association with it. This only means that the patients are experiencing that effect rather than the drug's pharmacological or therapeutic effect. Due to the Statin effects, the research team suggests that healthcare providers should inform patients of the nocebo effect when prescribing statins and managing them, and encouraging them to continue the medication.

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A clinical research fellow from Imperial College London and Cardiologist from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Dr. James Howard, said in the release that their study suggests that statins' reported side effects are not caused by statin alone but by the effect of taking a tablet. He added that some of the side effects from distinctive pains and aches of getting older. He stressed the significance of their study because side effects from statins are only minimal. The first author of the study from the Imperial National Heart and Lung Institute, Frances Wood, said that their study could help doctors manage their patients' expectations on statins and explain thoroughly to them that some side effects they will be experiencing may be from the nocebo effect.

Methods and results of the study

According to the release, the team recruited 60 patients who stopped taking statins aged 37-79. The participants were given four bottles with statins and placebo for them to take in a year. The research team discovered that 90 percent of the participants' symptoms are present when they took it with placebo tablets. Medical Director from the British Heart Foundation, Professor Nilesh Samani, said in the release that the beauty of the study is in its personalization. He noted that for the first time, patients were able to examine and see for themselves that statins did not trigger the side effects they have experienced, but the physical act of taking the pill did. He also emphasized that the study could encourage participants to continue taking statins, which will lower their risk of heart attack and stroke.

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