September 8, 2016

interpreting the evidence on the risks and benefits of statins

The public row about statins has had an impact on patient attitudes and the take up of the drugs, but patients, doctors and the wider public are still left confused about the absolute harms and benefits of statins.

A major review, published in The Lancet, brings together all evidence to date on statins to clarify what the risks and benefits are in order to help doctors, patients and the wider public make informed decisions about their use.

Journalists came to the SMC to discuss what the evidence tells us about the risks and benefits of statins, and the reasons for the previous confusion.

Roundup comments accompanied this briefing.

Speakers:

Dr Richard Horton, Editor-in-chief, The Lancet

Prof. Rory Collins, Head of Nuffield Department of Population Health and BHF Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Oxford

Prof. Jane Armitage, Professor of Clinical Trials and Epidemiology, University of Oxford, and Honorary Consultant in Public Health Medicine

Prof. Liam Smeeth, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and general practitioner