Are You Worried About Statin Side Effects? Why 47% of Patients Stop Their Medication

Have you been prescribed a medication, like a statin, and worried about side effects? Did you stop your medication? Or maybe you never even started it.

Traditionally doctors have relied on a ‘trial and error’ approach to medication.

Over 5 million people in the UK are prescribed statin medication every year. But we know that approaching 50% of patients stop them in the first year, or never even get their tablets.

Either experiencing side effects or worry about them are two of the biggest reasons for this. This is a big problem for your health. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, but a massive 80% of cardiovascular disease is preventable. Controlling lipids with medications like statins is a key weapon to prevent deaths from cardiovascular disease.

Pharmacogenomics analyses your DNA, looking at specific genes which dictate how your body responds to medicines. We have excellent detailed data that can predict how your body will metabolise drugs. This impacts not just whether the drug is effective, but also the risk of nasty side effects.

In the clinic we take a simple blood sample which is analysed in a specialist genetic laboratory in Germany. The result gives us a detailed profile of your pharmacogenomics.

The SLCO1B1 gene in your DNA codes for making a protein that is vital in controlling the metabolism of statins by your liver. We all have slightly different copies of this gene, called polymorphisms.

Up to 36% of people tested have a copy of SLCO1B1 with decreased function. This means that the body has trouble clearing statins from the bloodstream to be metabolised by the liver. This means levels of the statin drug can build up in the blood stream, and cause side effects such as muscle pain and inflammation.

In the clinic we can check your pharmacogenomic profile before starting medication. This means we can then choose a statin or other cholesterol lowering medicine which is much safer for you. You will be less likely to experience side effects and the drug is also more likely to be effective.

We had a patient recently who wanted to start a statin to reduce their long-term risk of heart disease, they had read a lot about people experiencing muscle pain. As a really fit and active person they didn’t want anything which would impact their busy lifestyle. Their pharmacogenomic profile showed they have decreased SLCO1B1 function and were at high risk of side effects with the most commonly prescribed statins, atorvastatin and simvastatin. We were able to choose a low dose of rosuvastatin for them, this is the most effective and safest choice for them.

We are incredibly lucky to be alive in a time where medical advances give us the chance for preventative healthcare. This chance was denied to many generations before us.

We know though that many patients worry about taking medications, especially about unwanted side effects. Pharmacogenomics is a key tool we can use make sure you get the right medication. We can go from ‘trial and error’ to a truly personalised cardiovascular disease prevention plan.

Interested in finding out your pharmacogenomic profile and what real-life personalised medicine means? We’d love to help you, so book today or get in touch.