Advise on using statins medication

[CheeryFish]

My aunt has been told she would benefit from going on statins after having a blood test. I have been looking on Google as she asked if I could find out any information on them [she doesn't go on any social media].

What I have been looking at isn't something I would like to take...or feel she would.

I have only put a small amount of info in case this does not receive any response.

I don't want to give her any bad advice and feel I should just tell her to speak with the doctor.

But feel first I would dearly like to know what anyone who takes them think.

She is a young 73 and is slim everything else has come up normal/good ie blood pressure/ urine/kidney/liver apart from cholesterol.

Hopefully will get some advice.

This patient decision aid might help her decide. It's all about risk reduction, ther are no guarantees. She could take the statin and still have a heart attack stroke, or she could not take it and never have one (but this is true of all medicines, it's always a decision about the risks and benefits)

What exactly is her cholesterol?

Personally I wouldn't take statins if I only had a mild-moderately raised cholesterol level and no other risk factors. You could Google Qrisk3 and put her info and you get a % risk of heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years.

Been on statins for years now. I'm considerably younger but higher risk.

It all depends on her risk profile and whether she wants to take them.

You can give her the information but it wouldn't be ethical to advise, as you're not qualified (unless you are!).

And if there is a history of familial hypercholesterolemia, Qrisk isn't the appropriate tool...

Ihave just rang her and the QRISK is 29.46%.

I don't think she will be happy of the side effects......her reason for all the checks was because she feels so tired all the time.

As far as I know, no one else suffers from it.....or ever needed statins.

No I am not qualified but don't want to give her any bad advise

This is what I had read about the ten years info......It being her choice is what alarmed me about it.

It is my understanding that this is the risk of having a cardiovascular event in the next 10years. Anything above 10% the GP should be giving you the choice of benefits vs risks (trying to prevent heart attacks strokes vs side effects most commonly of muscle aches and having to take a medication every night for rest of your life). Usually lifestyle modification is first line but you state she lives healthily so is it just her bloods that have pushed her risk profile up?

that risk would be very high to some and not so bothered to others so it very much depends on the person’s way of living/ risk assessment.

Thank you for that ....she is a vegetarian and I would think eats far too much seafood

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

That is what I thought ...what the benefits are plus she has the choice of whether to take it or not gave a bit of a red flag for me.

I should explain things that I have read and what has been said here for her to decide and not automatically go on it thinking it is a cure.

Thank you, yes I know she will be best talking to Docter but at least I can warn her of possible side effects

Sorry, I should have said she does not eat meat.

Yes, that makes a lot of sense. Her parent lived to 81 and 89 I know as they were my grandparents neither of Heart disease.

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.

I know a healthy diet and more exercise would be good What I'm not sure is if she would do that. I do feel I am happy to speak with her about what I found out rather than knowing nothing like when I first came on here

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.