Statins can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people who don’t have it now, but might develop it in the future. The most common forms of CVD are coronary heart disease (angina or a heart attack) and stroke (including transient ischaemic attack or TIA, sometimes called a ‘mini stroke’).

NICE, the government body which advises on the effective use of medicines, recently changed its guidance on statins to recommend that doctors should offer a statin to anyone who has a 10% or greater risk of developing CVD over the next 10 years.

If you are over 50 you could well fall into this group.
To help you decide whether a statin is the right thing for you NICE has developed a patient decision aid to give you information about the pros and cons of taking a statin.

The decision aid is designed for you to work through with your pharmacist or GP. If you are not sure what your CHD risk is, ask your pharmacist for advice.