About Us | Privacy | Site Map
May 16, 2012
Font Size
A
A
A
1
...

Statins for Cholesterol

Medical Author:
Medical Editor:

Statins for cholesterol overview

Statins, also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, are effective cholesterol-lowering medications and increase clearance of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Statin use decreases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other arterial diseases that are related to high cholesterol levels in the body. The majority of physicians and researchers support the use of statins but there are some investigators that suggest they may be "overused".

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in the blood and in all cell membranes; it is also used to form some hormones. It is an integral part of a normal person's body. Cholesterol can be absorbed from food and also synthesized in the liver. High levels of cholesterol in the blood is referred to as hypercholesterolemia. Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for cardiac, stroke, and other diseases because high levels of cholesterol in the blood cause cholesterol to be deposited in arteries, which then forms plaque, and eventually may participate in artery blockage.

Statins are not the only treatments used to lower cholesterol; for example, nicotinic acid, fibric acid, and cholesterol absorption inhibitors are prescribed to lower cholesterol levels.

In addition to medication, risk modifiers to lower cholesterol include the following:

  • a balanced diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat;


  • increased physical activity,


  • smoking cessation; and


  • weight loss.

Often, a health care practitioner may ask the patient to try to modify these risks factors for a few months before prescribing the statin medication to see the impact of lifestyle changes on cholesterol, triglyceride, and other levels. Statins do not replace making positive lifestyle changes to lower blood cholesterol levels; they work together in decreasing cholesterol levels and results are usually seen after 4-6 weeks of taking statins.

What are examples of available statins on the market?

Commonly prescribed statins include the following:

Statins come in tablet or capsule forms and are usually taken with the evening meal or at bedtime.

How do statins work?

Statins may lower cholesterol levels by 20% to 60% by slowing the production of cholesterol and by increasing the liver's ability to remove LDL (low density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol. Statins lower LDL levels more effectively than other types of drugs. They also modestly increase HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or good cholesterol levels and decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

1
...

Cholesterol Management

Tips to keep it under control.



Statins

Heart Attack Overview

If you believe that you are having the symptoms of a heart attack, please call 911 immediately and seek medical attention.

The heart is a muscle like any other in the body. Arteries supply it with oxygen-rich blood so that it can contract and push blood to the rest of the body. When there isn't enough oxygen flow to a muscle, its function begins to suffer. Block the oxygen supply completely, and the muscle starts to die.

  • Heart muscle gets its blood supply from arteries that originate in the aorta just as it leaves the heart.
  • The coronary arteries run along the surface of the heart and supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.
  • The right coronary artery supplies the right ventricle of the heart and the inferior (lower) portion of the left ventricle.
  • The left anterior descending coronary artery supplies the majority of the left ventricle, while the circumflex artery supplie...

Read the Heart Attack article »


Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Hypercholesterolemia, Familial »

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder that causes severe elevations in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc).

Read More on Medscape Reference »

Medical Dictionary


Use Pill Finder Find it Now

Pill Identifier on RxList

  • quick,
    easy,
    pill identification

Find a Local Pharmacy

  • including
    24 hour
    pharmacies