BRITS who take statins could be at risk of a life-threatening condition that causes muscles in the face to weaken, health chiefs warn.
Patients on the cholesterol busting drugs reported suffering myasthenia gravis as a side effect, according to the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Millions of Brits take the life-saving medication and the condition was only reported in “very small numbers”, officials said.
But despite the low numbers, the health body is advising patients to be aware of symptoms of the condition, which include droopy eyelids and slurred speech.
An MHRA spokesperson said: “There have been some suspected reports of new-onset or aggravation of preexisting myasthenia gravis associated with statin use.
“The current frequency of these adverse events is not known but given the extensive use of statins in the population, the reports are understood to be very infrequent.”
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Up to 9.5million Brits take statins to help treat high cholesterol and reduce the risk of problems like heart disease, heart failure and stroke.
More common side effects can include suffering headaches, dizziness, feeling sick or unusually tired or weak, as well as digestive problems like constipation and farting.
Muscle pain and sleep problems are also known issues.
Myasthenia gravis is a rare, long-term condition that usually affects women from the age of 40 and men over 60.
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Symptoms also include double vision, difficulty making facial expressions, problems with eating, weak arms, legs or neck and serious breathing difficulties in some cases.
The MHRA report officially linked statins to the condition for the first time.
Some 10 UK Yellow Card reports citing it as a side effect have been issued from June 14, 1995, to June 19, 2023.
Patients ranged in age from 40 to 89, but most were aged 60 and above.
No cases were fatal but four were hospitalised by the condition.
Officials told doctors to inform their patients on what symptoms to look for and said they may need to come off the drugs if the condition is suspected.
A spokesperson said: “Advise patients with pre-existing myasthenia gravis to be alert to aggravation of symptoms while taking a statin.
“It could be necessary to discontinue statin treatment depending on the assessment of the individual benefits and risks.”
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