ReviewStatins: pros and consPros y contras de las estatinas
Section snippets
Lipid lowering effect
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently one of the most important health problems in the world, causing one-third of all global deaths (17.3 million deaths per year).6
In the early 20th century, cholesterol plaques were found within the coronary arteries of patients who had died after suffering from angina pectoris.7 Coincidentally, in the period from 1900 to 1960, the percentage of deaths due to coronary heart disease (CHD) increased from 10% to 40%. However, little was known at that time
Cons of statins
Notwithstanding the unquestionable benefits of statins in patients at risk for cardiovascular events, they also have the potential to cause side effects. The two best documented side effects in observational studies and clinical trials are an increased risk of myopathy and an increased incidence of diabetes. There is also some reliable evidence that statins increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Other side effects, such as the potential to impair memory and cognition, promote cataract
Conclusion
In conclusion, statins are highly effective drugs that have the ability to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events up to 10% in primary prevention and 5% in secondary prevention over 5 years. However, about 0.5–1% patients over this same period of time may develop side effects, most of them mild. Nevertheless, given the great number of patients under statin treatment, these adverse effects will be common in clinical practice and thus, must be well-known by the medical community in order
Conflict of interests
The authors declare no conflict of interests.
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