Millions of Americans take statins for heart disease prevention. The FDA has released new important safety information regarding these cholesterol-lowering medications.
According to the FDA, some brain-related impairments, such as memory loss, forgetfullness and confusion has been reported by some statin users. The FDA also reports that statin users face a potential increased risk of higher blood sugar levels and the development of Type 2 diabetes.
The FDA will be updating the package insert of some statin products to communicate these new concerns.
The statin drugs affected are:
- Altoprev (lovastatin extended-release)
- Crestor (rosuvastatin)
- Lescol (fluvastatin)
- Lipitor (atorvastatin)
- Livalo (pitavastatin)
- Mevacor (lovastatin)
- Pravachol (pravastatin)
- Zocor (simvastatin)
The FDA has linked statin use with liver injury in rare cases.
Statin users experiencing any of the following symptoms should contact a health care professional:
- unusual fatigue
- loss of appetite
- right upper abdominal discomfort
- dark urine
- yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes
At this time the FDA believes that the heart benefit of statins outweighs the small increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and potential for muscle damage.
View the Full FDA Consumer Update
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by Matthews & Associates
