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According to a new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, long-term use of cholesterol-lowering drug statins could aggravate the risk of breast cancer.
Currently, The Royal College of General Practitioners (GP) and the British Medical Association have officially challenged the decision over concerns about the side effects of long-term use of statins, reports the Daily Express. Dr. Clare Gerada, former chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said that the link with breast cancer and statins was worrying and they did not know the impact of these drugs on millions of people taking statins for up to 40 years. The study concludes that the contemporary population-based case-control study, long-term use of statins was associated with increased risks. (Read: 10 tips to detect breast cancer early)
What are statins?
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Statins are a class of drugs that are prescribed for lowering the levels of cholesterol in the blood. When the blood cholesterol levels are high, cholesterol gets deposited on the walls of the arteries along with other fatty substances to form a plaque. This deposition is linked to a number of diseases and conditions includingatherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, stroke and heart attack. Statins act by blocking or obstructing a substance in the liver that is required to synthesize cholesterol. When the synthesis of cholesterol by the liver is inhibited, cholesterol from the blood is absorbed which causes a drop and prevents further blocks in the blood vessels. Commonly used statins include atorvastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin and pravastatin. Statins are usually the first line of treatment provided to patients with high cholesterol because apart from lowering cholesterol they also work to enhance the functioning of blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, improve plaque stability as well as reduce stress on the cells. The 2014 guidelines on cholesterol (published by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA), suggests that patients who have a 10 year risk of heart disease greater than 7.5 should be prescribed statins. (Read: 6 breast cancer symptoms you should never ignore)
What are the side-effects of statins?
'Like every other drug, the most common side-effects of statins include headache, nausea and overall weakness. Muscle weakness or tendonitis may also be seen. Gastro-intestinal problems like constipation, diarrhea and vomiting can occur. Rare side-effects like memory loss, difficulty in concentrating, forgetfulness, amnesia and memory impairment have also been reported. For these rare side-effects, the symptoms may start one day to years after starting treatment and may resolve within a median of three weeks after stopping the statin.
Severe side-effects like liver failure and rhabdomyolysis (excessive muscle inflammation) are rare. Use of statins is commonly associated with abnormalities of liver function tests. But the results revert to normal soon. In case the results are abnormal then further use of statins is stopped. In people with diabetes, statins can cause an increase in HbA1c and fasting serum glucose levels,' says Dr Tandon. (Read: Statins does this cholesterol-lowering drug have any side-effects?)
With inputs from ANI
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