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Healthy adults should take statins even if they don't have heart problems as the benefits are worth the mild side effects, a major study has concluded.
Researchers at Oxford University looked at data from 120,000 patients to establish if those who do not have existing heart disease still benefit from statins as a preventative measure.
They concluded that although the drugs do have mild side effects such as muscle pain, these were significantly outweighed by a dramatic reduction in deadly heart attacks and strokes.
Around eight million people in Britain take statins, which lower levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood and are thought to prevent 80,000 heart attacks and strokes every year.
Since 2014 all over-75s, most over-60s and many in middle age with conditions such as diabetes have been eligible for the prescription medication.
Healthy adults should take statins even if they don't have heart problems as the benefits are worth the mild side effects, a major study by Oxford University has concluded [stock image]
But around six million Britons who are eligible for statins do not take them because of the potential for milder effects such as muscle weakness and stiffness.
Critics also say healthy people should not be put on them 'just in case' as this amounts to 'over-medicalisation'.