Advise on using statins medication

I know three people very close to me who have been given statins and no longer take them

I am aware of a couple of Others who have managed after trying serveral types to keep going

That's seems quite a high side effect rate

Of those who desisted -
Hair loss, tiredness, muscle weakness and pain, cramps

Side effects are not common and statins are very safe and effective.

It's always your choice whether you take medication or not. And if you do choose to take one you can stop at any time.

She's been offered it because her risk of heart attack/stroke is double that of someone else her age, and statins have been proven to reduce that risk.

Some people do suffer joint pain on some statins, but there are different brands available if one causes a problem. (The first one DH had did trigger inflammation, he switched to a different one and a lower dose and is absolutely fine on them. And his cholesterol is now well under control).

What is she worried about?

Thank you for mentioning this condition. It runs in DH’s family. Early deaths, early heart attacks and peripheral vascular disease. Statins are a saviour for people whose cholesterol can’t be controlled by diet/exercise. It can take time to find the right type, due to some of the side effects.

Yes, there was nothing that concentrated my mind more than lying in a cath lab with a cardiologist showing me a recording (just taken) of my completely blocked left main artery!

'Crappy genetic hand' was indeed a factor and statins are an amazing step forward for anyone at risk. Only wish I'd been on them earlier

My father's just started statins and my father-in-law's been on them for years. Both in there 60s. My dad was early 50s when he had a stroke. My FIL has a mutation that causes high cholesterol regardless of diet, as does his mother. His father had 3 heart attacks. My partners other grandfather had a heart attack and died aged 52. Risks of heart attacks and strokes start much earlier than 70!

I work in drug discovery and to be honest there is so much misinformation online you are likely to muddy the situation rather than find any real evidence about whether it is a good idea for your relative to take statins. Go through the NHS page for statins with them. If you can and they are happy with it go along to a GP appointment to ask for clarification and get the facts and considerations that are specific to your relatives and support her that way rather than tangling with Dr Google which i find confusing enough with some professional knowledge

Her age is the biggest risk factor. Practically everyone of 73 will have a Qrisk over 10% simply by virtue of age. Almost every over 70 year old I see is on them, regardless of BP, cholesterol, family history etc etc.
Even with statins or lifestyle improvement and an improvement in her lipid profile, she will always come out over 10% simply because she is 73.

If there's any family history of heart disease, that goes straight to the top of the list of reasons to take them

There's family history on my father's side, which made me a fanatic about leading a heart-healthy lifestyle. Quality diet, healthy weight, exercise....I took it all very seriously.

So there I was in my late 50's, very healthy, no evidence of heart disease. What I did have was a family member who is a cardiologist and he strongly recommended a calcium scan.

Well that was an eye-opener! Evidence right there in black and white that there were already deposits in my arteries. So statins it is (I've had zero side effects).

Sometimes we're dealt a crappy genetic hand. "Lifestyle" is important but can't always protect you.

I've taken low dose statins for a couple of years. I have a qrisk of 16 but low cholesterol, I'm 66.
I've had zero side effects and while I know it's no guarantee I feel I have taken one small step to reducing my stroke risk.

There were a lot of scare stories about the side effects of stains and some research was done which showed that in the majority of cases the aches and pains reported had other causes.
Of course you can always stop taking them.

Doesn't matter how slim and apparently fit you are. If you are at higher risk of coronary artery disease, statins will help to mitigate the risk by stopping the build up of plaque in the artery walls. They can't reduce what's already there but could certainly help to be the difference between a blockage and no blockage. Which, when talking about arteries, is rather important.

If there's any family history of heart disease, that goes straight to the top of the list of reasons to take them.

Your aunt's GP should be the one offering advice. Millions of people take statins with no effects other than lowering cholesterol and build up of plaque.

I am 60 with a Qrisk of 8.8%. My DH had a stroke age 60 two years ago so despite not being above 10% I requested statins.
The first month has been a bit rough muscle/joint pain but it has settled now.
Having done my research, evidence is emerging that statins are a possible adjuvant for a number of cancers including breast cancer. I had breast cancer a couple of years ago and already take Anastrazole. If the statins reduce my risk of stroke/heart attack and further reduce the risk of the cancer returning I’m happy to take them.

In your aunts case a Qrisk of 29% is high, and if her BMI and other tests were normal it suggests that her cholesterol level is very high.
The cholesterol they measure is the stuff our bodies manufacture and is not solely dependent on diet. Genetics play a strong roll, unfortunately your aunts parents probably never had cholesterol measured and if they died young may never have developed heart disease.

I suppose there are two issues, firstly how fit is your aunt and how independent is she, secondly does she have a good support network or a longterm plan for her future needs.

If she wants to remain independent then reducing the risk of future medical problems is worth the risk.

I am not attempting to make a decision for the OP’s aunt. But she should know that starting on statins does not mean a lifetime commitment. Many people start a healthy lifestyle programme at the same time and this enables some to reduce or discontinue their statin

If she eats seafood then she's not a vegetarian.

Cardiologists often use a Cardiac Calcium Test to assess risk. It's a (quick) CT scan which shows calcium deposits in the arteries. A zero or low score = minimal or average risk and a high score = high risk.

At 73 a zero or low score would indicate that she wouldn't benefit from statins no matter how high her cholesterol is.

It's quick and painless (but obviously exposure to radiation like any CT scan). Not expensive where I'm located.

And despite all the horror stories online millions of people worldwide take statins with no side effects whatsoever.

Personally I'd like to know I'm likely to benefit from a medication before committing to a lifetime taking it.

I am much younger than your aunt and have been taking a statin for a few years because of familial high cholesterol. I take a low dose. It has been very effective and I have had no side effects

Your aunt has about 3 chances in 10 of suffering a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years, without treatment. That is very high and much higher than the threshold for recommending statins. If such an event did not kill her, she could be left badly disabled

All medicines come with long lists of warnings about side effects. Many of them sound scary but few of them come to pass. If you are concerned you should look at how often they are likely to occur. I know many people on statins and everyone is very pleased. Your GP monitors your liver function so anything going wrong there will be caught (I have never heard of a person with a problem)

Fish is generally excellent for heart patients. Seafood contains cholesterol but is not thought to be harmful.

If your aunt has concerns, her GP is the best person to discuss them with. Really, no one wants to poison her or make her miserable.