Just days after a new study revealed cholesterol lowering statins can increase the likelihood of the onset of diabetes; a top health expert is calling for statin prescriptions to be put on hold. According to deputy chairman of the British Medical Association, Dr Kailash Chand, people who take statins are also more likely to develop Parkinson's disease.
The study that brought to light the connection between Statins and Parkinson's disease was conducted over a period of 20 years. Nearly 16,000 people took part and the results of the study have alarmed many medical experts because the figures suggest 150,000 statin users in Britain may develop the disease.
In the UK the amount of statin users has risen considerably in the last decade. Prior to 2005, the drugs were only prescribed to patients who were 30% more likely to suffer a heart attack within 10 years. In 2005 this was lowered to 20%, and a 10-year plan was recently introduced to make lower risk patients (10%) eligible for statin prescriptions.
Dr Chand has used Statins himself and experienced terrible muscle pains (a common statin side effect) due to their use.
Speaking on Saturday, Dr Chand said: "The risks of side-effects of these drugs are far greater than any potential benefits and it is high time these drugs were restricted in the low-risk population."
Dr Xuemei Huang, who headed the study at Penn State College of Medicine in Pennsylvania, said: "I think doctors are over-enamoured with statins and think it is a cure-all." He later added: "It is potentially harmful for these drugs to be given out so widely and randomly."
The study that brought to light the connection between Statins and Parkinson's disease was conducted over a period of 20 years. Nearly 16,000 people took part and the results of the study have alarmed many medical experts because the figures suggest 150,000 statin users in Britain may develop the disease.
In the UK the amount of statin users has risen considerably in the last decade. Prior to 2005, the drugs were only prescribed to patients who were 30% more likely to suffer a heart attack within 10 years. In 2005 this was lowered to 20%, and a 10-year plan was recently introduced to make lower risk patients (10%) eligible for statin prescriptions.
Dr Chand has used Statins himself and experienced terrible muscle pains (a common statin side effect) due to their use.
Speaking on Saturday, Dr Chand said: "The risks of side-effects of these drugs are far greater than any potential benefits and it is high time these drugs were restricted in the low-risk population."
Dr Xuemei Huang, who headed the study at Penn State College of Medicine in Pennsylvania, said: "I think doctors are over-enamoured with statins and think it is a cure-all." He later added: "It is potentially harmful for these drugs to be given out so widely and randomly."