One in three people over 45 'now take statins to reduce heart attack risk' (UK)

"Official figures show there are more than 7 million people in England taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs to reduce their risk of suffering a heart attack. It has raised concerns over the medicalisation of a generation as the numbers on statins are set to increase even further as the Government's new health checks for the over-40s take effect. Prescriptions for antidepressants and drugs for obesity and attention deficit disorder have also risen by up to ninefold in 10 years" - Telegraph

Should even the healthy take statins?

"Preventive medicine focuses on encouraging the general public to worry about illnesses that they will probably never develop, and on doctors to search for remedies that they may never need. But it saves lives. The number of British men and women dying prematurely from heart attacks has fallen by almost a third over the past decade and much of the credit must go to the increasingly widespread use of the statin family of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Statins are taken by millions of people in the UK and are one of the key ingredients in the polypill (a collection of five different drugs being developed as a cardiovascular panacea for anyone over the age of 55). The Department of Health estimates that statins prevent about 10,000 early deaths every year, but a small and vocal group of sceptics believes that they are not as effective as claimed and that they cause a number of disabling side-effects" - Times

Statins: "Wonder drug that stole my memory" (UK)

Statins have been hailed as a miracle cure for cholesterol but little is known about their side effects. Christopher Hudson, from Kent, UK, describes his loss of memory while taking statins - The Telegraph

Statins trial could benefit rheumatoid arthritis sufferers (UK)

Part of a major UK trial to find out if taking statins could reduce the number of rheumatoid arthritis patients dying of heart attacks and strokes is to be opened in Belfast. According to the Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC), rheumatoid arthritis patients have an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular complications compared to the general population - but few are routinely prescribed the cholesterol-lowering drugs, statins. The charity is urging eligible RA patients registered with Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast to join almost 4,000 people involved in a UK-wide five-year GBP1.1m trial. While based at the University of Manchester, the trial will involve more than 60 rheumatology departments throughout the UK. It is being funded by ARC and the British Heart Foundation. - Belfast Telegraph

Prescribing: GPs divided over statins for healthy patients

"Doctors are split over the benefits of offering statins to healthy people, according to an international survey. The results come as the DoH considers increasing the number of people who receive the drugs for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. England's national director for heart disease and stroke Professor Roger Boyle has said NICE will review whether more patients should receive them. The online poll of 2,553 readers by the New England Journal of Medicine found 48 per cent believe the therapeutic use of statins in healthy people should be changed based on results of the JUPITER trial" - Healthcare Republic