Celia Hatton

They suggest statins do not cause the majority of the possible side effects listed on packs, including weight gain and impotence.

The lead author of the study is Professor Christina Reith.

She's been speaking to Justin Webb.

What we found was that the vast majority of medical issues are listed as potential side effects and statin packaging do not actually have a causal link with statins.

So this includes seeing no increase in problems like memory loss, depression.

depression, sleep disturbance, erectile dysfunction, nausea, headache and many, many more.

And this is really reassuring because this really gives us confidence to see the benefits of statins and significantly reducing heart attacks and strokes, which are serious, potentially devastating conditions.

But these benefits substantially outweigh any risk.

Indeed.

I mean, you have to weigh up the risk of not taking them versus these very small risks we've identified.

And I agree with you.

When patients look at leaflets, it can be quite alarming.

It's a wonder in many ways people do take things.

Of course, people may develop some symptoms while they're in statins because these things go on all the time.

But what we've been able to do robustly with our data set is really work out how much more common, if at all more common, these things are.

Well, I think they should open up a discussion with regulators and indeed other sources of health information.

Lots of people have been reluctant to start taking statins or stop taking them because they've been concerned or confused.

And we really hope our research adds clarity to that.

I don't see my job as to tell people to take statins or not.

I see it as to help produce the most reliable evidence.