AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Side effect of statins11/24/2023 ![]() ![]() An ~80 mg/dL (2 mmol/L) reduction over five years with low-cost statin therapy appears to prevent a major vascular event in about 500 out of 10,000 patients who have not yet had a vascular event (primary prevention) and 1,000 out of 10,000 patients who already have ASCVD (secondary prevention). The Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' (CTT) meta-analysis using 27 large-scale trials demonstrated that each ~40 mg/dL (1 mmol/L) reduction in LDL-C with statin therapy decreases risk of major vascular events by ~25% each year after the first year there was a more modest 10-12% reduction in the first year. Robust data show that reducing LDL-C through statin therapy leads to a reduction of ASCVD risk. Patients with high cholesterol develop plaque in their blood vessels, which can limit blood flow and lead to ASCVD events. With the decline of smoking, LDL-C control has become an even more important way to decrease the risk for ASCVD events (heart attacks and strokes). Since 1900, ASCVD has been the leading cause of death every year in the US (except for 1918, the year of the influenza pandemic). Since lovastatin was first approved in 1987 in the US, statins have become the leading pharmacologic treatment for high LDL-C and non-HDL-C. Statins are a class of drug that inhibit one of the first steps in cholesterol synthesis, in turn upregulating LDL receptors and lowering LDL-C generally by 25-50%. Vitamin D supplementation does not seem to reduce the risk of statin-related muscle pain, but there is preliminary evidence that it may reduce the intensity of such pain in people with low vitamin D blood levels.įish oil may also offer benefits to certain people on statin drugs.įor more details about these interactions, use the links above, which take you to articles on ConsumerLab with extensive information about each supplement.High low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is one of the most common modifiable risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), affecting 78 million US adults (37% of the American adult population) in 2011-2012 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In general, CoQ10 supplementation does not appear to reduce statin-related muscle pain, although there is evidence it may help people considered statin-intolerant due to muscle-related side effects when combined with a reduction in statin dose. To play it safe, it may be best to take statins at least a couple of hours before consuming a green tea supplement or beverage. (Note: Another form of this gene is known to increase the activity of simvastatin as well as atorvastatin).Īlthough green tea can help lower cholesterol, it can also decrease absorption of some, but not all, statin drugs. Soy isoflavones were found to reduce the bioavailability of simvastatin by an average of 48% in people carrying a common form of the SLCO1B1 521 gene. However, some other statins do not seem to be affected by grapefruit juice, including pravastatin (Pravachol), fluvastatin (Lescol) and rosuvastatin (Crestor). Since the effects of grapefruit juice may last as long as 3 days, it should be avoided if you are taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev) or simvastatin (Zocor). Some fruit juices can also be a problem, particularly grapefruit juice, which impairs the body's normal breakdown of certain statins, allowing them to build up to potentially excessive levels in the blood. Nevertheless, some physicians believe taking niacin in addition to statin medication may be helpful for certain people however do not try this combination without consulting your physician. While high doses of niacin may help to lower cholesterol, studies show that if you already take a statin drug, adding high-dose niacin does not appear to provide additional benefit and may carry serious risks. Red yeast rice, which contains a naturally occurring statin, should not be combined with prescription statin drugs without medical supervision.īerberine should be avoided or used with caution when taking certain statin drugs, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor). Certain forms of magnesium may also decrease blood levels of statin drugs - particularly Crestor. John's wort and possibly quercetin, may decrease blood levels of some statin drugs, and when taken with atorvastatin, may actually result in increased cholesterol levels. Atorvastatin (Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor), and other cholesterol-lowering statin drugs can be affected by taking supplements and can affect your ability to absorb certain vitamins and minerals. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |