Every pharmacotherapy is used for a purpose and allows (or at least should allow) the expected results to be achieved. Unfortunately, there are risks associated with the use of any medication by a patient: these are the side-effects. What is the case with statins, which are being prescribed to more and more patients? Do their benefits really outweigh any risks of statin treatment?

Statins - in which situations are these drugs recommended to patients?

Statins are drugs that block the activity of an enzyme involved in the production of cholesterol in the body - HMG-coenzyme A reductase. This is how statins lead to a reduction in blood cholesterol concentrations. However, these drugs also have many other effects in the body - statins are said to have a stabilising effect on atherosclerotic plaques, they have an anti-inflammatory effect, and they also have anticoagulant and antioxidant effects.

Due to their primary effect, statins are primarily recommended for patients suffering from hypercholesterolaemia. However, these drugs are also important in people who need to start prevention against cardiovascular incidents - we are talking about serious diseases such as heart attack or stroke. In this case, statins are recommended for patients with a high so-called cardiovascular risk.

Benefits of statins

The primary benefit of taking statins is that these drugs can be extremely effective in lowering patients' cholesterol levels. With these preparations, lowering blood cholesterol levels by 30 or even 60 per cent or more is possible. How statins reduce the risk of various medical conditions has also been the subject of numerous studies. The data vary slightly between studies, but it appears that taking statins can reduce the risk of conditions such as stroke and heart attack by more than 30 per cent. Statins can also significantly reduce the possibility of a repeat myocardial infarction in people who have already experienced one in their lifetime.

Statins can certainly be considered an effective weapon in the fight against elevated cholesterol, but as is often the case in life, there is also another side to the coin. The use of statins can lead to a variety of discomforts, some of which are mild and quickly go away, while others may warrant the patient discontinuing these drugs.

Treatment with statins: mild and severe side effects

Patients may experience a variety of side effects of statin therapy, particularly during the initial period of use. These include disorders such as nausea, gastrointestinal disorders (such as bloating, diarrhoea or constipation and abdominal pain) and dizziness and sleep problems. However, these types of disorders are usually not of significant severity and, in addition, resolve in a relatively short time.

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Some statin users may experience more serious side effects of the therapy. These include liver dysfunction, which may be manifested by an increase in liver enzymes, but also by pain in the region of the right rib arch. Another risk of statin therapy is the possibility of muscle-related disorders, which may take the form of muscle pain in some patients and rhabdomyolysis (i.e. breakdown of muscle cells) in others, although much less frequent.

The risks mentioned above are so rare that statins can and are commonly used in medicine. It is useful to have knowledge of the risks, as it allows the patient to suspect that some dangerous phenomena have occurred, which he or she should consult a doctor. Treatment with statins can definitely be beneficial, but it is worth paying attention to several aspects that will increase the safety of taking these preparations.

Statins: what can be done to make treatment with them safe?

Statins - as mentioned above - are preparations that can be considered highly effective, after all, they can significantly reduce patients' cholesterol levels and thus reduce the risk of life-threatening diseases. On the other hand, however, there is a risk of the described side effects of these drugs. Statins can be beneficial, however, patients are cautioned about a number of different aspects, the observance of which can make statin therapy associated with as few risks as possible.

First and foremost, patients must remember to keep a close eye on their health especially during the initial period of statin treatment. Some disorders - such as nausea or abdominal pain - may disappear after a few days of taking these drugs and are usually not dangerous. However, other disorders, such as significant muscle pain, should already prompt the patient to talk to their doctor about whether they should really continue with the pharmacotherapy. It may be necessary to discontinue statins altogether, but it is also possible that the patient will be offered another preparation from this group of drugs that does not lead to significant side effects.

Patients on statins should also not forget to visit their doctor regularly. Periodic laboratory tests (e.g. determinations of liver enzyme activity in the blood) make it possible to ensure that the use of statins will indeed achieve the expected effects in terms of cholesterol reduction, while at the same time the therapy will not be associated with any risks to the patient's general health.

It is also extremely important for the safety of statins that these drugs are taken by patients without contraindications to their use. Patients with significant hepatic impairment should be treated with statins with caution or even not at all. Pregnant patients should also not use these preparations.