Statin intolerance – still more questions than answers

    Authors

    Keywords

    statins, intolerance, adverse effects

    DOI

    https://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2020.58

    Full Text

    Statins reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity as well as cardiovascular events in patients with a very high risk of cardiovascular disease and also in subjects with a moderate or high risk by reducing the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Although statins are considered to be drugs with a very good safety profile, their wide use seems to evoke concerns about the compromising adverse effects overpowering proven beneficial ones. Patients frequently discontinue statin therapy without medical advice due to unfavorable events, thereby substantially increasing their risk of cardiovascular events. Statin discontinuation is a great problem and appears to be growing. Complete statin intolerance is relatively rare. Step-by-step approach that includes careful examination of all possible statin-intolerance-increasing factors would help patients to continue statin therapy even if experiencing statin-associated side effects.

    Cardiologia Croatica
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    Statin intolerance – still more questions than answers

    Extended Abstract
    Issue3-4
    Published
    Pages58
    PDF via DOIhttps://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2020.58
    statins
    intolerance
    adverse effects

    Authors

    Iveta Merćep*ORCIDUniversity Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
    Lukrecija AnzićORCIDUniversity of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
    Ema BudimirORCIDUniversity of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

    Full Text

    Statins reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity as well as cardiovascular events in patients with a very high risk of cardiovascular disease and also in subjects with a moderate or high risk by reducing the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Although statins are considered to be drugs with a very good safety profile, their wide use seems to evoke concerns about the compromising adverse effects overpowering proven beneficial ones. Patients frequently discontinue statin therapy without medical advice due to unfavorable events, thereby substantially increasing their risk of cardiovascular events. Statin discontinuation is a great problem and appears to be growing. Complete statin intolerance is relatively rare. Step-by-step approach that includes careful examination of all possible statin-intolerance-increasing factors would help patients to continue statin therapy even if experiencing statin-associated side effects.