Which Statin Will Lower Your Cholesterol?

Statin side effects and risks
Statins generally don't cause many side effects, but potentially the most common problem is muscle pain, stiffness, or weakness, which affects about 1% of study subjects but many more patients in the real world, because study subjects are carefully screened, says Eliot Brinton, MD, a preventive cardiologist and lipidologist at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Other side effects can include tiredness, bloating, constipation, and leg and abdominal pain. More serious side effects—including liver damage—are rare. Roughly one out of six million patients taking Lipitor has a fatal reaction. "Walking down to the store to get the drug is more dangerous than taking it," Allison says.

Some experts have expressed concern that the emphasis on statins could draw attention away from the importance of diet and lifestyle. A 2007 study of 71 patients who began taking statins found that 44% felt their physician had prescribed the statin even though the patients preferred to try dietary measures to control their cholesterol. And although 76% of the patients wanted to reduce their dietary fat intake when they began statin treatment, after six months there was no significant change in the group's fat intake.

But the biggest risk with statins is not taking them. Only about half of all patients prescribed a statin end up reaching their cholesterol goals, mainly because far too many people leave far too many pills untouched.

One recent study of nearly 6,500 patients found that they refilled their monthly prescriptions an average of less than five times a year.

Read about one man's experience with statins here.