Statin risks: The good outweighs the bad

A leading doctor has told statin users that the “good tends to outweigh the bad” after concerns were raised over the potential side-effects of the cholesterol fighting drug.

A study published in the Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases said the medication, which is regularly prescribed to people at risk of heart disease or stroke, could be doing more harm than good.

The research by Dr Sherif Sultan and Dr Niamh Hynes of University Hospital Galway said statin use can increase the risk of diabetes, cataracts, male impotence and, in rare cases, Parkinson’s disease and cancer.