Coverage by a cardiology news outlet of an editorial published in Annals of Internal Medicine on "statin denial" included the perspective of James Stein, MD, professor, Cardiovascular Medicine and Robert Turell Professor of Cardiovascular Research. 

The original editorial by Steve Nissan, MD, Cleveland Clinic, expressed grave concern over statistics showing that only 61 percent of people given a prescription for a statin were taking the medication as recommended three months later, often due to fear arising from misinformation from anti-statin web sites. Dr. Stein strongly agreed. 

"I have scores of patients who stop their statins based on fears that mainly come from the internet, though I have to say, ‘friends’, pharmacists, and many primary care docs play into the fears. We spend a lot of time trying to sort out various aches and pains, non-specific symptoms, and anxieties that are not due to statins. Many lives have been lost or impaired because of statin non-compliance."

Resources:

• "Nissen Calls Statin Denialism A Deadly Internet-Driven Cult," CardioBrief, July 24, 2017
• Nissen S. 2017. Statin Denial: An Internet-Driven Cult With Deadly Consequences. Annals Internal Med. 167(4):281-282.