“Statins: A 2016 Update”
The global market for statins has been estimated to be staggering over the last decade, as drug manufacturers have set out to “statinize” the world with cholesterol-lowering medicines. Total sales of statins may approach $1 trillion worldwide by 2020; the most commercially successful drug in history, atorvastatin (Lipitor®), had sales exceeding $120 billion between 1996 and 2011. Under the new guidelines, about 1 in 3 American adults overall, and perhaps as many as 1 billion worldwide, would be potential candidates for statin treatment. However, there are hundreds of studies proving the adverse effects of statins, which includes everything from memory loss, to muscle problems to diabetes and increased cancer risk. Harm from taking statins are a major concern and statin users have reported numerous potentially statin-related side effects, ranging from decreased cognitive ability and fatigue to diabetes and liver and kidney damage. However, the majority described myalgia (muscle pain) and rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) thought to be related to statin use.
