Weighing statins' risks vs. benefits

Statins are lipid-lowering medications, also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, but you may know them as Lipitor, Lescol, or Mevacor. One in four Americans over the age of 40 takes a statin, mainly to reduce their risk of heart-attack or stroke if their diagnosed with ‘bad’ cholesterol.

UW Cardiologist Eugene Yang sits down with UW Newsroom to discuss the risks and benefits of such medications, and the importance of educating patients with reliable information.

Patients may exercise caution prior to trialing different medications due to side effects, especially if they’ve had issues before with other medications, but “patients have different side effects to different medications, so just because they had a side effect to one statin doesn’t mean they’re going to have the same side effect to another statin” says Dr. Yang. Frequently, physicians “can change the medication and the patients don’t experience the same side effect with the medication.”

By having conversations about the relative benefits versus the risks of statins with patients, Dr. Yang has noticed most are open to trying to treat their cholesterol with medications. “I think part of it is really allowing the patient to express what their concerns are, what they’ve read on the internet or through other sources”, Dr. Yang shares, though “part of [his] job is to educate the patient on what data is really accurate or reliable versus information that isn’t”, resulting in a productive discussion on what may be the best course of action.

For the full in depth look at the risks and benefits, view the video or visit UW Newsroom for their full coverage