Key Takeaways:
Statin medications are one of the most effective ways to lower cholesterol. They help decrease your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
Overall, statins are safe medications. For most people, the benefits for heart health usually outweigh any risk of side effects.
If you’re experiencing side effects from your statin, your healthcare team can help make changes to your treatment plan. This may include switching statins, lowering your dose, or exploring other cholesterol-lowering medications.
Statins are one of the most effective ways to treat high cholesterol. They’re life-saving medications that lower the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. But despite their clear benefits, many people who are prescribed statins stop taking them. This is often due to a misunderstanding of their safety.
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about statin side effects and risks. This way, you can get a better idea of the benefits and risks for yourself.
What are the benefits of statins?
Statins help lower cholesterol in two main ways. They:
Block an enzyme that allows your liver to make cholesterol
Help your liver to get rid of excess cholesterol in your body
These effects on your liver lead to several benefits for the cholesterol levels in your blood:
Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: LDL is often called “bad” cholesterol because too much can clog your arteries. Lowering LDL is the main way statins benefit your cholesterol levels.
Higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: HDL is often called “good” cholesterol because it helps to clear harmful cholesterol from your arteries.
Lower triglycerides: Triglycerides are another type of fat in your blood. Similar to cholesterol, they can also raise your risk of heart disease.
This means statins can slow the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries. This fat buildup is called atherosclerosis, and it’s the process that leads to cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
You’re most likely to benefit from a statin if you have:
Cardiovascular disease
A high risk for cardiovascular disease, like from smoking or high blood pressure
High cholesterol, especially if you have tried dietary and lifestyle changes with no improvement
Familial hypercholesterolemia, which is high cholesterol due to genetic reasons
Diabetes
What are the risks and side effects of statins?
Most people tolerate statins well, and research suggests that side effects are relatively rare. Still, side effects — or fear of developing them — are among the main reasons people stop taking statins. So, it’s important to understand the actual risk of statin side effects.
1. Muscle pain
Muscle pain is one the most common side effects reported by people who take them. But research has found that many reported muscle symptoms are likely due to the nocebo effect. This means that people develop muscle symptoms because they expect the medication will cause it.
Muscle symptoms can range from mild aches to more severe pain. They usually improve over time. In very rare cases, statins can cause severe muscle breakdown called rhabdomyolysis.
It’s not clear why some people develop muscle pain from statins. But it’s likely related to a genetic predisposition. You also may be more likely to have muscle symptoms if you have:
A history of increased creatine kinase (CK) levels in your blood
Neuromuscular disease, like myasthenia gravis or spinal muscular atrophy
A family history of muscle disorders
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2. Diabetes
Statins may increase your risk of getting diabetes by about 10%. The risk of this side effect increases with:
A higher statin dose
Longer duration of treatment
Older age, especially over 65
Higher body weight
Preexisting high blood sugar levels or prediabetes
Even with this risk, experts still recommend statins for people with diabetes or prediabetes. This is because statins are more likely to protect you from heart disease than to cause diabetes or make diabetes worse.
3. Liver damage
In rare cases, statins can increase your liver enzymes. These enzymes are measured with lab tests that can be a sign of inflammation in liver cells. This only occurs in less than 3% of people who take statins. And in most of these cases, the elevation is mild and resolves on its own.
An increase in liver enzymes doesn’t necessarily mean you have long-term liver damage. Serious liver problems caused by statins are rare, even in people without existing liver conditions.
If you’re concerned about this potential side effect, talk with your healthcare team. They can help you understand your true risk and monitor your liver health while taking statins.
4. Other common side effects of statins
In addition to the above risks, some people who take statins also report the following side effects:
Stomach upset
Fatigue
Dizziness
Headache
Like muscle pain, it can be hard to tell whether these symptoms are caused by a statin or something else. For example, a large review study found that statins were no more likely to cause fatigue than a placebo.
So, are statins safe?
For the majority of people, statins are safe. The benefits far outweigh any risks of complications or side effects.
If you have high cholesterol, statins are one of the most effective and safe ways to lower your cholesterol. Even if your cholesterol levels aren’t high enough to meet the definition of “high cholesterol,” the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends statins for some people who are at risk for heart disease or stroke.
If you have any concerns about the safety of starting or continuing a statin, talk to your healthcare team. They can help clarify your individual risks and benefits.
How to manage statin side effects
Severe side effects from statins are rare, and most side effects improve over time. If you’re experiencing side effects from your statin, let your healthcare team know. They can help you manage them by:
Exploring other causes: Many times, people assume a new symptom is a medication side effect, when it may actually be caused by something else.
Switching statins: There are several different statins to choose from. You may tolerate one better than another.
Lowering the dosage: Sometimes, healthcare professionals recommend a lower daily dose or taking your statin every other day to improve side effects, like muscle pain.
Recommending other treatments: If you can’t take a statin, other cholesterol-lowering medications can help. We cover these options in the next section.
Are there any alternatives to statins?
For people who can’t take a statin, there are other cholesterol-lowering medications that may be used instead. Some examples include:
Ezetimibe (Zetia)
Fibrates (like fenofibrate and gemfibrozil)
Bile acid sequestrants (like cholestyramine and colesevelam)
ATP-citrate lyase (ACL) inhibitors (like Nexletol and (Nexlizet)
Leqvio (inclisiran)
Can high cholesterol be reversed without medication?
Most people with high cholesterol will need medication to lower their cholesterol to a safe level. This is because genetics plays a big role in your cholesterol level. But there are still several lifestyle changes that also help lower cholesterol levels. These include:
Eating a healthy diet, like the Mediterranean diet
Eating more fiber
Exercising
Decreasing alcohol intake
Frequently asked questions
Most statin side effects go away within 1 to 2 weeks after stopping the medication. How long they last can depend on the dose you were taking, how long you took the medication, and how severe the side effects are.
It’s important to not suddenly stop your statin without consulting with your healthcare team. Your cholesterol levels will start to rise within days of stopping a statin. Eventually, this can lead to serious heart problems or even a heart attack.
Most people who take statins need to take them for the long term. That said, if you can’t tolerate your statin, your healthcare team can help you safely change your treatment plan.
Most statin side effects go away within 1 to 2 weeks after stopping the medication. How long they last can depend on the dose you were taking, how long you took the medication, and how severe the side effects are.
It’s important to not suddenly stop your statin without consulting with your healthcare team. Your cholesterol levels will start to rise within days of stopping a statin. Eventually, this can lead to serious heart problems or even a heart attack.
Most people who take statins need to take them for the long term. That said, if you can’t tolerate your statin, your healthcare team can help you safely change your treatment plan.
The bottom line
Statins are the most effective way to quickly lower cholesterol and your risk of cardiovascular disease. But many people are worried about how safe they are. Much of this concern comes from misinformation about the risks and side effects.
Overall, statins are very safe medications. Even for people who might be at a higher risk of side effects, the benefits still outweigh the risks. If you start taking a statin and develop side effects, talk to your healthcare team. With time and small adjustments to your treatment plan, most side effects will go away.
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References
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Bradley, C. K., et al (2019). Patient‐reported reasons for declining or discontinuing statin therapy: Insights from the PALM registry. Journal of the American Heart Association.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Statins and diabetes: What you should know.
Feingold, K. R. (2026). Dyslipidemia in diabetes. Endotext.
Howard, J. P., et al. (2021). Side effect patterns in a crossover trial of statin, placebo, and no treatment. JACC.
Ingersgaard, M. V., et al. (2020). Reasons for nonadherence to statins: A systematic review of reviews. Patient Preference and Adherence.
Jose J. (2016). Statins and its hepatic effects: Newer data, implications, and changing recommendations. Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences.
Reith, C., et al. (2022). Effect of statin therapy on muscle symptoms: An individual participant data meta-analysis of large-scale, randomised, double-blind trials. The Lancet.
Sizar, O., et al. (2024). Statin medications. StatPearls.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2017). Statin use for the primary prevention for cardiovascular disease in adults: Recommendation statement. American Family Physician.
