Statins' Safety & Tolerability Compared in Large Meta-Analysis

By Joe Elia

Some statins seem safer than others, but as a class their benefits outweigh their harms, according to a Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes study.

Investigators (without outside funding) undertook meta-analyses of 135 trials encompassing almost 250,000 individuals. They found that statins increased the risk for diabetes by roughly 10% and were associated with elevations in liver enzymes, which increased with increasing dosages.

Individual statins had differing safety and tolerability profiles, with pravastatin and simvastatin scoring best on a composite rating that comprised adverse events, myalgia, and elevations in transaminases and creatine kinase.

The authors conclude that the benefits of statin therapy "greatly overweigh its potential harms." However, at the patient level, harms are indeed possible, thus making it important to identify those who stand to benefit most from therapy.