This dramatic change in thinking means that people who once were not candidates for statins are now prescribed them to lower their risk of heart attack and stroke. They draw cholesterol out of plaque and stabilize plaque, Blaha says. Plaque is a waxy substance consisting mainly of cholesterol deposits that can build up within the walls of the arteries, interfering with blood flow to and from the heart and leading to heart attack and stroke.
Early on, plaque build-up can be controlled by healthy lifestyle choices, such as switching to a heart-healthy diet, exercising and not smoking.
If those efforts are unsuccessful over time, doctors will introduce treatment with statins to benefit the arteries and prevent further damage. Being prescribed statins is no longer simply a result of having poor cholesterol numbers. Instead, doctors use a variety of ways to identify high-risk patients.
These include examining all of your heart-health measures including blood pressure, blood glucose and body-mass index as well as the results of tests that assess plaque build-up, such as a coronary calcium scan. Are statins safe? Rhabdomyolysis can occur when you take statins in combination with certain drugs or if you take a high dose of statins. Occasionally, statin use could cause an increase in the level of enzymes that signal liver inflammation.
If the increase is only mild, you can continue to take the drug. Rarely, if the increase is severe, you may need to try a different statin. Although liver problems are rare, your doctor may order a liver enzyme test before or shortly after you begin to take a statin. You wouldn't need any additional liver enzyme tests unless you begin to have signs or symptoms of trouble with your liver.
Contact your doctor immediately if you have unusual fatigue or weakness, loss of appetite, pain in your upper abdomen, dark-colored urine, or yellowing of your skin or eyes. It's possible your blood sugar blood glucose level may increase when you take a statin, which may lead to developing type 2 diabetes.
The risk is small but important enough that the Food and Drug Administration FDA has issued a warning on statin labels regarding blood glucose levels and diabetes. The increase generally occurs when blood sugar levels are already higher than normal and fall in the prediabetes or diabetes range when you begin taking a statin. Statins prevent heart attacks in people with diabetes, so the relevance of the mild increase in sugar values with statins observed in some people is unclear.
The benefit of taking statins likely outweighs the small risk to have the blood sugar level go up. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns. The FDA warns on statin labels that some people have developed memory loss or confusion while taking statins.
These side effects reverse once you stop taking the medication. There is limited evidence to prove a cause-effect relationship, but talk to your doctor if you experience memory loss or confusion while taking statins. There has also been evidence that statins may help with brain function — in people with dementia, for example. This is still being studied. Don't stop taking your statin medication before talking to your doctor. Not everyone who takes a statin will have side effects, but some people may be at a greater risk than are others.
Risk factors include:. Grapefruit juice contains a chemical that can interfere with the enzymes that break down metabolize the statins in your digestive system. While you won't need to eliminate grapefruit entirely from your diet, ask your doctor about how much grapefruit you can have. There are many drugs that may interact with statins, so be sure your doctor is aware of all the medicines you take when being prescribed with statins. To relieve side effects believed to be caused by statins, your doctor may recommend several options.
Discuss these steps with your doctor before trying them:. Although side effects believed to be caused by statins can be annoying, consider the benefits of taking a statin before you decide to stop taking your medication. Remember that statin medications can reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke, and the risk of life-threatening side effects from statins is very low.
If you have read about the potential side effects of statins, you may be more likely to blame your symptoms on the medication, whether or not they're truly caused by the drug. Even if your side effects are frustrating, don't stop taking your statin medication for any period of time without talking to your doctor first. Your doctor may be able to come up with an alternative treatment plan that can help you lower your cholesterol without uncomfortable side effects.
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Why not focus on a healthy diet and exercise first before we jump into prescriptions with their inevitable side effects? Answer: because it is hard work and takes commitment vs. Most of the above information in this Harvard Health Blog relating to cholesterol and heart health is incorrect. The side-effects from statins are awful. Statins bring about Alzheimers, dementia, problems with memory, erectile dysfunction, low testosterone. The American Journal of Cardiology found that statin medications actually increased the risk of death.
More information regarding cholesterol and heart health, with scientific studies can be found in the book Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, M.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a more accurate picture about heart health, cholesterol, statins, inflammation,brain health and much more. You do not have to take them if you prefer, but I do not think you can convince many to go along with your rants about side effects.
There is a joke among doctors that they should be added to drinking water. That is why they are prescription drugs as opposed to OTC over the counter products.
Just keep in mind that all science is incomplete, or completely wrong. Ten years from now how will the medical community respond to this issue? In 50 years this will look like a treatment from the dark ages. Grandma was always right, eat your vegetables, get plenty of rest, and go outside and play. Oh and avoid anything with Monsanto corn in it, like American beef. I agree totally with your comments. Thank you.
More insight, wisdom is necessary to run our life. Eating healthily , cooking more to know what contains our food, practicing mindfullness to be able to enjoy the present moment instead of letting our thoughts run in all directions creating a fearful, stressful ,pointless life. Taking time to listen to the music of the soul and taking our strength in the silence between the thoughts.
And most of all to be loving and compassionate to ourself and the world around us. While many aspects of these new guidelines concern me, one of the biggest is the concerns I have is the recommendation to use statin in people with diabetes.
First off, statins can actually contribute to type 2 diabetes. In fact, last year the FDA began requiring statin manufacturers to put a diabetes warning on their labels.
Plus, the data demonstrates that for men with diabetes statin drug use can lead to calcification of the coronary arteries. And since people with diabetes are already more prone to cataracts, the use of statins for this population can be harmful. A far better intervention for people with type 2 diabetes, or pre-diabetes, is lifestyle changes—including diet therapy; weight reduction; avoidance of sugars; exercise; use of raw foods, particularly vegetables; and targeted nutritional supplements.
Yes Dr. I wish all the rest of the Medical world will join you! Be on your way to a healthy heart. Subscribe to Harvard Heart Letter today. Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.
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