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    Before Starting A Statin, Talk It Over With Your Doctor

    Patients and doctors should have nuanced conversations about the benefits and risks of statins before deciding to start them. The drugs can reduce heart attack odds but also carry some side effects.
    by Richard Harris Dec 03, 2018 3 minutes
    Atorvastatin, the generic form of Lipitor, can reduce the chances of heart attacks and strokes in people at risk. Side effects, such as muscle pain, are uncommon but should be part of the conversation about starting the medicines, a study concludes.

    A study published Monday is pushing back against the notion that up to 40 percent of Americans should be taking statin drugs to reduce the risk of heart disease. The study, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, argues that current medical guidelines haven't adequately considered the risks from these widely used drugs.

    "Some harms are mentioned, but it's entirely unclear how they were considered when coming up with the recommendations," says a physician and epidemiologist at

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