About R.J.M. (Ruben) Mijnster
Introduction
My PhD research focuses on patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease who rely on cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins. Regrettably, many of these patients encounter adverse effects while on statin therapy, leading them to switch to more expensive alternatives.
However, emerging evidence suggests that a significant portion of these adverse effects stem not from the statins themselves, but rather from negative expectations surrounding them, known as the "nocebo effect". Our aim is to promote statin usage in these patients by implementing a specialized intervention. This intervention involves testing whether patients' symptoms are attributable to the statins or the nocebo effect by administering statins or placebos in alternating periods and informing patients about their individual results.
If successful, this approach could reduce healthcare costs by minimizing the need for more expensive drugs in this patient group.
Field(s) of expertise
- Lipid-lowering therapy / Cardiovascular disease prevention.
Education and career
- 2014-2018 BSc Medicine (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
- 2018-2023 MSc Clinical Research (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
- 2020-2023 MSc Medicine (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
