Statins controversy led 200,000 people to stop taking pills, says study

Authors say there could be 2,000 extra heart attacks or strokes in next decade after research cast doubt on pills' effectiveness

The public controversy over statins after a leading medical journal ran articles questioning their use will have prompted an estimated 200,000 people in the UK to stop taking the pills in a six-month period, according to researchers.

The authors of a study funded by the British Heart Foundation say there could be 2,000 extra heart attacks or strokes over the following 10 years as a consequence, but say it is impossible to be certain.