Are Statins Good OR Bad For You?

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Overview

Statins are often prescribed to the patients who have suffered heart attack, often caused due to the blockage of arteries. It is also widely recommended by the doctors if you have high cholesterol issues.

Statins are the class of drugs, which reduce the levels of bad cholesterol that is LDL levels in the blood. Reducing the LDL levels decreases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Cardiovascular diseases are on rise and is the leading cause of death in United States. High LDL and low HDL levels often increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

More about Cholesterol and Statins

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that your body requires for production of cells, sexual hormones, and digestion and for conversion of sunlight to vitamin D. It is obtained from the food you eat and is produced by the liver in your body.

Cholesterol can deposit in the blood vessels and form plaques. The plaques are hard, thick deposits of fats that stick to the walls of the blood vessels and hinder the blood flow to the organs.

This can lead to formation of blood clots, which often lead to cardiovascular problems such as stroke.

Statins work by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, they block the pathway of synthesizing cholesterol in the liver. Statins also marginally improve the HDL levels, which help to move the bad cholesterol (LDL) back to the liver.

Statins Side effects

As every medicine with action has side effects, even statins have their share of side effects. It can lead to Rhabdomyolysis, which is a serious condition in which cells of muscles become damaged.

This is more commonly observed in people who are taking statins with other medications that carry a similar risk. Other side effects observed with use of statins include diabetes, memory issues, pancreatic and liver dysfunction and sexual dysfunction etc.

It was observed that over five years of treatment, statins result in 75 cases of diabetes, 7.5 cases of bleeding stroke, and 5 cases of muscle damage per 10,000 people treated.

What care needs to be taken while taking statins?

You should not be taking statins if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or you are suffering from liver disease. Certain medications also should not be taken with statins. Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting statin therapy.

While on treatment with statins, do not consume grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice. Grapefruit can interfere with certain enzymes that break down statins. This can increase the levels of medication in your bloodstream, which can produce undesirable effects or increases your risk for severe side effects associated with statins.

Various forms of statins that are available

· Atorvastatin

· Cerivastatin

· Fluvastatin

· Lovastatin

· Mevastatin

· Rosuvastatin

· Pravastatin

Conclusion: Are statins good or bad for you?

A report published in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, suggested that that side effects observed with the use of statins varied depending on

which statin a person took.

The study also concluded that statins are generally safe and that serious side effects were not common. It was also found that the benefits of statins outweighed the risks for most people.

Whether the stains are good or bad for you eventually depend on your body physiology and overall health status.

But is always better to avoid taking medications. You can always try the natural remedies first. You can always controlling your blood cholesterol levels by exercising regularly. Eat only nutritious food and avoid processed and junk food, which only contain dead calories and zero nutrition. These foods are mainly responsible for increasing the blood LDL levels.