According to a new review of clinical trials involving popular cholesterol-lowering drugs like Crestor and Lipitor, the effectiveness of the widely-used class of medications known as statins has been overstated, and the risk of side effects has been significantly downplayed in recent studies. In the report, published in the March issue of Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, the researchers warn that statin drugs do not appear to have substantially prevented heart disease and other problems, even when they lower cholesterol levels, suggesting that the potential risks associated with statins actually outweigh their benefits. If you took Lipitor in the past, and you have since experienced a serious side effect, contact a knowledgeable Lipitor lawyer today to discuss your legal options.
In the study, the researchers note that, although statin advocates claim that drugs like Crestor and Lipitor can benefit 30% to 50% of the population, statins will actually only prevent one heart attack in one out of 100 people using the medications. In order to arrive at their findings, the researchers looked at a number of benchmark statin studies, including the ASCOT-LLA study, which examined the effectiveness of Lipitor, and the 2008 Jupiter trial, which examined the safety and effectiveness of Crestor. “Our opinion is that although statins are effective at reducing cholesterol levels, they have failed to substantially improve cardiovascular outcomes,” the researchers wrote in their conclusion.
This latest study raises serious concerns about the increased use of potentially dangerous statin drugs across the country, and what impact this could have on users. “In the Jupiter trial, the public and healthcare workers were informed of a 54 percent reduction in heart attacks, when the actual effect in reduction of coronary events was less than 1 percentage point,” the researchers wrote. “In the ASCOT-LLA study, which was terminated early because it was considered to have such outstanding results, […] the improvement in outcome was only 1.1 percentage point, but when this study was presented to the public, the advertisements used the inflated (relative risk) statistics, which transformed the 1.1% effect into a 36% reduction in heart attack risk.”
Although statin drugs are widely used and generally regarded as safe, a growing body of research has linked statins like Lipitor and Crestor to serious side effects, including an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in otherwise healthy women. The makers of popular statin drugs currently face a growing number of product liability lawsuits filed on behalf of users across the country who claim to have suffered major side effects while taking the medications. If you believe you have been harmed by side effects of Lipitor, our consumer advocates at the Consumer Justice Foundation can help. We are dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers injured by potentially dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, and can help put you in touch with a skilled Lipitor attorney today.
