The pills can protect against heart attacks and strokes, but have had some bad press because of a very rare risk of dangerous muscle inflammation.

The British Heart Foundation says patients should not automatically stop their tablets for mild muscle aches.

The conclusions are based on data from nearly 155,000 people.

They were taking part in a number of statin trials assessing the treatment and possible side effects.

Muscle pain or weakness was commonly reported by the participants, regardless of whether or not they were taking a statin tablet. Some of the volunteers received a placebo or dummy tablet instead of the statin, for comparison.

About one in four in both groups - statin or placebo - reported some muscle aches.

According to the researchers, during the first year of treatment, statin therapy produced a 7% relative increase in muscle pain or weakness compared to placebo, suggesting that only one in 15 of these muscle-related reports by patients given statins were because of the statin.

The absolute excess risk of muscle symptoms because of a statin was 11 per 1,000 patients treated during the first year, the researchers calculate.

After the first year of treatment, there was no significant difference in reports of muscle pain or weakness between those given statins and those given the placebo.

Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, with millions taking them.

Prof Sir Nilesh Samani, from the British Heart Foundation, which funded the work, said the findings "should provide reassurance to the many people taking, or considering taking, these lifesaving drugs that have been proven to protect against heart attacks and strokes".