Bottom Line/HEALTH: About 20% of adults over 45 are taking a statin medication. But should they be…and are they all benefitting from it?

We talked to an expert to find out, and we’re bringing you the bottom line on what everybody should know about taking statin medications.

Hi, I’m Pilar Gerasimo with a Bottom Line Expert report on some of the dangerous side effects associated with a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins. I’m here with Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, the director of Women’s Heart Health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

I’ve heard that statins have been described by some experts as the most dangerous drug on the market. I’ve heard also that about one in four adults over 45 are currently taking them. So it strikes me that there must be some either very underpublicized risks associated with statins…or we’re just not getting the whole story.

Suzanne Steinbaum, DO: Every medication has a risk and a benefit. If the risks or side effects outweigh the benefits, that makes the drug dangerous. There have been a lot of people who do not need statins who have been given them, and that makes this drug dangerous for those people.

Bottom Line: What are some of the side effects associated with statins?

Steinbaum: One of the most common side effects is muscle aches or body aches, joint pain, oftentimes people feel them in their legs. Some other side effects are elevated liver tests, which could be a problem, but once the statins are stopped, usually those enzymes or liver tests come down. There could be kidney abnormalities if doses of statins are too high. Some people describe fog brain, really sort of this inability to think, and again, when the statin is stopped, these symptoms go away. But those are the most common things we see in people taking statins.

Bottom Line: What about the special risks for women taking statins? I’ve heard that particularly with healthy women, taking statins can increase their risk for diabetes.

Steinbaum: I’m glad you asked that question, because the headline said “Statins Lead to Diabetes in Women,” but in that particular study, it looked at women who were at risk for diabetes in the first place. They were given statins, and over time, their diabetes developed. Healthy women shouldn’t be taking statins in the first place, but if they are, they’re not at risk for diabetes.

Bottom Line: Wasn’t there also a recent study that showed there are actually more people being harmed by taking statins unnecessarily than people without preexisting conditions that were being saved by them? I mean, are millions of people just wasting their money and increasing their risk at the same time?

Steinbaum: There are many people taking statins who really don’t need to be on them, but we know for sure that for people who have had a heart attack or heart disease or stents, statins are lifesaving. If you’re at intermediate risk for heart disease and have risk factors—high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, family history, sedentary lifestyle, stress—and you fit into this category, then a statin should be considered. Short of that, it’s not for you.

Bottom Line: The bottom line on statins—they’re not right for everyone, particularly if you don’t have more than one risk factor. And they can carry some pretty serious side effects. So to be on the safe side, it’s best to check with your doctor and make sure that statins are right for you. For more advice on a healthier life, go to BottomLineHealth.com.