Drug points: Simvastatin and impotence

The benefits of lowering raised cholesterol concentrations are established in patients with documented coronary artery disease and those at high risk.1 2 Inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (statins) are highly effective agents with few reported adverse effects. However, as their use becomes more common, adverse effects may be increasingly recognised. Impotence, rarely volunteered or asked about, is an important adverse effect of drugs and not currently associated with …