Statins: safer than feared, but protection isn’t a substitute for healthy living

A Lancet review suggests statins are generally well tolerated, easing concerns about memory loss or sleep disturbances. About 10 million in the UK take statins, mainly for primary prevention, but benefits depend on baseline cardiovascular risk. NICE estimates that at a 10% 10-year risk, 40 strokes or heart attacks could be prevented per 1,000 people over 10 years; numbers needed to treat vary (roughly 200 people for five years to prevent one heart attack in primary prevention, about 300 to prevent one stroke, with better figures for secondary prevention). The article emphasizes that diet and lifestyle remain crucial and that statins are risk reducers, not a substitute for healthy habits. It also notes tools like QRisk to estimate personal risk, though those estimates have limitations.