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After each routine health check, many people inadvertently discover surprisingly high blood cholesterol levels. At that time, the doctor will recommend that the patient control cholesterol with statin drugs. So what are statins?
1.What are Statins? What are statins? Statins are a group of drugs used to control blood cholesterol. Most of the cholesterol in the human blood is produced by the liver. Statins control blood cholesterol by 2 mechanisms:
Reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver; Strengthens liver support to remove excess cholesterol in the blood. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the first step in treating high blood cholesterol is to discuss with your doctor the risks of developing heart disease or stroke. Then, consult about the ability of statins to control blood cholesterol, the ability to prevent the above risks and possible side effects during use.
MORE: Notes when taking Statins to lower blood fat
2. Why control blood cholesterol? The human body always needs cholesterol. However, too much of this type of fat in the blood can lead to the accumulation of plaque and plaque on the artery walls, leading to narrowing and atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.
3. The difference between "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol moves through the blood vessels thanks to lipoprotein particles. The process of transporting cholesterol from the liver to the organs is through low-density lipoprotein (LDL for short). LDL is called “bad” cholesterol because high levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood are one of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke. In the opposite direction, high-density lipoprotein particles (called HDL) are responsible for carrying cholesterol back to the liver for removal from the body. Therefore, in people with high levels of HDL cholesterol blood tends to have a reduced risk of heart disease, which leads to HDL known as "good" cholesterol.
HDL và LDL là hai loại cholesterol đối ngược nhau
During a physical examination and quantitative tests of blood cholesterol levels, the doctor will explain what the LDL and HDL results mean for each patient's heart health.
SEE ALSO: Statins - When is the best time to drink?
4. Are nutrition and lifestyle habits enough to help control blood cholesterol? A healthy heart-healthy diet combined with lifestyle changes (such as regular exercise, limiting alcohol, smoking, etc.) and maintaining a healthy weight are all contributing factors. control blood cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. However, there are many other factors that cannot be changed (such as genetics) that also play a role in the mechanism of hypercholesterolemia, so lifestyle changes alone will not control cholesterol.
For people at risk of heart attack or stroke, statins can be actively used even if blood cholesterol levels are not too high. Accordingly, statins have been studied and proven effective in minimizing the risk of heart attack and stroke. However, to know for sure if a statin drug is suitable for a particular patient needs to go through a full process of discussion, examination, and testing.
5. What are the side effects of statin drugs? Most statins are well tolerated. Some of the most common side effects that patients experience are muscle problems and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Muscular abnormalities are now quite common, can occur even in people who do not take statins. Therefore, before thinking about discontinuing the drug due to this side effect, the doctor needs to evaluate and examine the symptoms carefully. Rarely, statins can cause serious muscle problems.
Similarly, the risk of developing diabetes with statins is not high. On the other hand, the benefits of statins in reducing the risk of onset of cardiovascular disease and stroke are overwhelmingly outweighed by the very small risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Thuốc Statin có thể làm tăng nguy cơ phát triển bệnh đái tháo đường type 2
6. Should you use grapefruit when taking statins? Grapefruit and grapefruit products (such as juice) can affect the action of certain medications, including some statins. In addition, other drugs may also interact with this blood cholesterol control drug.
Therefore, the best advice for patients taking statins is to make sure that the doctor and pharmacist are aware of all the medications the patient is taking (both prescription and over-the-counter).
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References: fda.gov
