The Express and statins

Today's Express has yet another 'miracle cure' headline on its front page:



Statins have been around for years so it's not clear what is 'new' about them.

And to call them a 'wonder drug' may surprise Express readers who remember this front page from 21 May:


A wonder drug that can be a risk to health? Apparently so.

Indeed, the Express' coverage of statins has fluctuated between those two extremes for several years.

They're good:


Then, maybe, they're not:


A week later they're good again:


But still, maybe you should learn:


Just in case:


But the next day:


Which is good news, until:


And:


And the 'agonising side-effects' mentioned here:


But soon after that, news that even healthy people may get prescribed statins:


Eventhough:


And:


They can cause 'cataracts, liver damage and kidney failure'?

But they're not that much of a 'health risk' because:


And then the reassuring news that:


Whoever said they did? They may also give:


And last month, the Express claimed, statins were partly responsible for:


It may seem all very confusing that one newspaper can go from 'health scares' to 'miracle cures' about the same drug so often (they also do it with aspirin).

Good job the Express has a handy guide:


Yes, it is 'impossible to know what to believe.'

Yes, conflicting advice can cause 'confusion' and 'make it difficult to judge what's safe and what isn't.'

The Express' coverage doesn't make it any easier.