Statins have fewer side-effects than people think – study

Research suggests that one in every 50 people who take statins for five years will avoid a serious event, such as a heart attack or stroke, due to the medicine.

Statins are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood.

Cholesterol-busting drugs taken by millions of people in the UK have far fewer side-effects than people think, a large study suggests.

Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, with around seven to eight million people taking them to cut their chance of heart attack and stroke.