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Fiona fox's blog
Muscle-related symptoms linked to statins have been a controversial topic, with some observational studies reporting symptoms in up to a fifth of patients, in contrast to evidence from blinded randomised trials where rates are much lower. But, if patients (and their doctors) know they are taking a statin, are they more likely to report side effects? A new paper in The Lancet aims to address this question. Just as the placebo effect can have a strong effect on how patients respond to a drug, so too might the expectation that a drug will cause harm – the so-called nocebo effect.
Speakers:
Professor Peter Sever Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London