From the Journals

Statin Side Effects Largely Unsupported by Trial Data

Most adverse effects listed on drug labels lack causal evidence, meta-analysis finds

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A meta-analysis by the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaboration highlights that most adverse effects associated with statins, as seen in product labels, lack support from randomized controlled trials. The study evaluated data from 23 trials with 154,664 participants and focused on conditions potentially linked to statin therapy. Only a few outcomes, including liver function abnormalities, showed a statistically significant excess risk, which remains very small. The findings suggest that many listed side effects may not be valid, prompting a call for regulatory updates on statin labels to ensure informed patient and clinician decisions.

Original Source(s)

Statin Side Effects Largely Unsupported by Trial Data

Most adverse effects listed on drug labels lack causal evidence, meta-analysis finds

  • by Kerri Miller

  • February 17, 2026

  • 4 min

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