Context

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death and a major cause of disability in most industrialised nations. Multiple studies and international guidelines support the use of statins to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. As such, statins are among the most widely prescribed medications. However, the intended as well as unintended consequences of their widespread use are unknown in large representative populations. Therefore, investigators performed a large population-based study to examine a range of clinical outcomes that have been found to be positively or negatively associated with statin use, including myopathy and rhabdomyolysis, Parkinson's disease, dementia, liver dysfunction, venous thromboembolism, rheumatoid arthritis, cataract, common cancers, osteoporotic fracture as well as acute renal failure.