'Statins have hardly any side effects'

Statins have virtually no side effects, with users experiencing fewer adverse symptoms than if they had taken a placebo, a major study claims.

Researchers at Britain's Imperial College looked at 29 trials involving more than 80000 patients taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs.

They concluded that the chance of experiencing debilitating symptoms like nausea and fatigue were slightly less among people taking statins than for control groups given a placebo.

Now the scientists are calling for drug companies to make it clear on packets that side effects are uncommon so that people are not wrongly dissuaded from treatment. Guidelines advise the majority of men over 50 and women over 60 to take the drug as a precaution, but experts have voiced concerns that the side effects could outweigh the benefits for healthy people.

But research published on Wednesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggests that only a minority of symptoms are attributable to the drugs.

"Almost all would occur just as frequently on placebo," said Dr Judith Finegold from the National Heart and Lung Institute in London at Imperial College.

"Most people will not feel perfectly well in every way on every day. Why should they suddenly feel well when taking a tablet after being warned of side effects?"

Statins have for years been linked to a long list of side effects including nausea, renal disorder, aches, insomnia and erectile dysfunction.