Western Australia’s peak medical group has taken out a full page newspaper advertisement to tell people to take their Statins.

The WA arm of the Australian Medical Association says people should continue listening to doctors, not documentaries, for advice on heart health.

The campaign was triggered by an ABC science program, which questioned the merit of the cholesterol-lowering medication. It has cause concern and outrage in the medical community, which has also strongly questioned the authority of the interviewees featured in the show.

The full page of the state-wide newspaper encouraged readers to trust their doctor’s advice on the use of Statins, with the AMA’s Michael Gannon adding that only a GP is qualified to judge each individual case.

“These are not easy questions that are easily answered on the basis of watching a television program... your GP is the best place to help you with their decision making,” Doctor Gannon said.

“We don't want people stopping their medication without thinking of the consequences of that.”