Statins are drugs that can only be prescribed by a doctor and only after a series of blood tests that determine cholesterol levels. In such cases, their main goal is to protect the cardiovascular system from diseases and acquired pathologies. When prescribing drugs, the attending physician is obliged to advise the patient on the following points:
- statins - what are they;
- a complex of side effects from taking drugs.
The doctor also talks about the fact that statins should be taken constantly. Only under this condition do they really protect the heart and blood vessels and have a pronounced therapeutic effect.
Cholesterol concept
Cholesterol is a naturally occurring lipid: 80 percent is synthesized by the liver and 20 percent is ingested through food. The role of cholesterol in the proper functioning of the body is quite important: it is one of the building materials at the cellular level, activates metabolic processes, protects cells fromexposure to negative factors, is involved in the production of bile acid and sex hormones. Cholesterol is "good" and "bad". And from a medical point of view, this classification is as follows:
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HDL - high density lipoproteins. People with high levels of this cholesterol in their blood are not prone to heart disease. Excess HDL is transported back to the liver, where it undergoes synthesis, so it does not accumulate in cholesterol plaques and does not pose a threat to he alth. In this case, taking statins is not needed, because the body works smoothly and smoothly.
- LDL - low density lipoproteins. They carry the main danger to the body when they combine into cholesterol plaques. What is the danger of thisphenomenon? Atherosclerotic deposits that settle inside the vessels (on the walls), clog them, thereby disrupting blood flow. This leads to oxygen starvation, strokes, heart attacks.
Statins - what are they?
In the twentieth century, atherosclerosis was recognized as one of the leading causes of death, because it is the cause of myocardial infarction and strokes. For a long time, the opinion of doctors that atherosclerosis is an irreversible and natural process of aging of the body was erroneous. The discovery of statins was a revolution in the world of medicine: they had a powerful cholesterol-lowering property. The results of the study, which were conducted over 5 years, were the following indicators:
- Reducing LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by 35%.
- Increased HDL (goodcholesterol) by 8%.
- 30% reduction in strokes and 42% reduction in myocardial infarctions.
Statins are drugs that accelerate and regulate the synthesis of cholesterol in the body, reduce its concentration by inhibiting MMC-CoA reductase.
Who is prescribed statins
According to studies, after taking the drugs, there was a positive trend in patients suffering from chronic coronary heart disease. There is no evidence that a positive effect of statins in other pathologies and diseases exists. But these remedies are not only curative, but also preventive. Because statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs, they are prescribed for people in the following categories:
- Persons with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia that does not respond to lipid-lowering drugs.
- For patients suffering from coronary heart disease, regardless of cholesterol levels.
- For heart attack patients and those with angina.
- For patients with coronary syndrome.
- Diabetics to regulate blood cholesterol levels.
- High blood pressure patients at risk for cardiovascular disease.
- Patients suffering from atherosclerotic vascular lesions. Such diseases include atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels, lower extremities, renal arteries, as well as the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery.
- Persons who do not suffer from cardiovascular diseases, butwith high levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Statins are drugs that are one of the best preventive measures in the fight against diseases of the cardiovascular system. According to statistics, in countries where the level of sales of these drugs increases, the death rate from diseases associated with high blood cholesterol levels is significantly reduced.
For and Against
So, statins. What is it and how much they are necessary - we have considered above. But the opinion of doctors about these drugs is ambiguous. There are reasonable "pros" and "cons" regarding these drugs. Despite the fact that advertising slogans promise to save the population from atherosclerosis and all the resulting diseases, statins are not always and not to any extent useful. The issue of their use by older people remains especially controversial: firstly, statins are drugs, the price of which is not acceptable for everyone; secondly, side effects can do more harm than good when taking drugs as a prophylactic. Based on the results of clinical studies conducted by various institutions, experts say the following:
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statins drug name The benefits of statins as a preventive drug to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke are indeed high, but the side effects make doctors think twice before prescribing them to patients who have not previously experienced heart disease.
- Be especially careful when prescribing statins to people who havecataract symptoms or already suffering from this disease. According to statistics, taking medications increases the risk of developing cataracts by 52%.
- This also applies to older people with diabetes. Taking statins provokes the development of cataracts 5.6 times faster.
But, nevertheless, the latest statins are used in medical practice more and more often and bring their benefits. An experienced doctor is obliged to advise the patient before prescribing treatment with these drugs, on the following issues:
- Statins - what are they?
- What to expect from taking drugs: the benefits of treatment and prevention.
- Side effects and effects of taking the drug.
- How and in what doses to take the drug.
Statins and cholesterol: the other side of the coin
Medicated lowering of blood cholesterol levels entails a change in other indicators in the body:
- Statins reduce the production of not only cholesterol, but also its precursor, mevalonate. It is a source of many important substances that perform biological functions in the body. The lack of such substances can lead to other diseases.
- Low cholesterol can be more harmful than high cholesterol, leading to an increased risk of cancer, anemia, nervous system and liver disease.
- According to studies conducted in the United States, an increase in cholesterol levels is provoked by a low magnesium content in the body. Its deficiency leads to angina pectoris, hypertension, diabetes andarrhythmias.
- "Bad" cholesterol is actively involved in tissue repair at the cellular level. Statins can suppress this function, leading to myalgia (weakness, swelling, muscle pain) and even muscular dystrophy.
Side effects
The harm of statins during their long-term use is expressed by such side effects:
- Allergic reactions: itching, skin rash, urticaria, anaphylaxis, exudative erythema, Lyell's syndrome.
- Digestive system: indigestion, nausea, vomiting, hepatitis, pancreatitis, jaundice.
- Hematopoietic organs: thrombocytopenia.
- Nervous system: dizziness, paresthesia, amnesia, peripheral neuropathy, general malaise, weakness.
- Musculoskeletal system: cramps, back pain, arthritis, myasitis.
- Metabolic processes: hypoglycemia (decrease in blood sugar), the risk of diabetes.
Long-term use of statins can lead to insomnia, headaches, impotence, weight gain or anorexia.
Some principles for choosing statins
If, after all the pros and cons, it was decided to prescribe statins, then it is worth considering some features: compatibility with other drugs and the presence of chronic diseases.
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statin drugs price Taking statins with medications for gout, diabetes, and hypertension can double your risk of myopathy.
- For chronic liver diseases, you need to take drugs withadditional security features. These are low-dose rosuvastatin and pravastatin (Pravaxol). Together with them, it is strictly forbidden to take antibiotics and alcohol.
- For persistent pain in the muscles or during physical exertion, which can provoke damage to muscle tissue, it is advisable to take pravastatin.
- With extreme caution prescribe drugs to patients with chronic kidney disease. It is strictly forbidden to use statins that are toxic to the kidneys: the name of fluvastatin drugs is Lescol Forte, atorvastatins are called Lipitor.
If the goal of taking statins is to lower low-density cholesterol, then they can be used in combination with nicotinic acid. Ideal agents are rosuvastatin or atorvastatin.
Generally accepted classification of statins
Regarding their cholesterol-lowering activity, statins are divided into 6 groups:
| Cholesterol reduction rate, % | Names of statins |
| 55 | rosuvastatin |
| 54 | pravastatin |
| 47 | atorvastatin |
| 38 | simvastatin |
| 29 | fluvastatin |
| 25 | lovastatin |
Statins (we list the names of the drugs below) are selected and prescribed by a doctor based on cholesterol levelsin the blood.
Rozuvastatin
| Drug name | Issue form | ||
| type | weight | package quantity | |
| Crestor | table. | 10mg | 7 and 28 pcs |
| Rozuvastatin | table. | 10mg | 28pcs |
| "Akorta" | table. | 10mg | 30pcs |
| "Rozucard" | table. | 10mg | 90pcs |
| Tevasrol | table. | 10mg | 30pcs |
| Roxera | table. | 10mg | 30pcs |
| Martenil | table. | 10mg | 30pcs |
| "Rozulip" | table. | 10mg | 28pcs |
The average daily dosage of rosuvastatin is 5-10 mg. For seriously ill patients in the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia, the daily dose can reach 40 mg. It is also the maximum allowable. The drug is synthetic.
Pravastatin
| Namedrug | Issue form | ||
| type | weight | package quantity | |
| "Lipostat" | table. | 10mg | 28pcs |
The daily norm of pravastatin is 20-40 mg. The maximum allowable dose (80 mg) is not used due to incomplete knowledge of the action. The drug is semi-synthetic.
Atorvastatin
Atorvastatin is a third-generation synthetic drug. Among the statins of its generation, it is the most effective, for example, it is twice as effective as fluvastatin. Initial therapy is recommended with 10-20 mg per day. In the absence of the desired effect, the dosage is increased to 40 mg per day. Atorvastatin is also used at a dosage of 80 mg per day for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome. The drug is synthetic.
| Drug name | Issue form | ||
| type | weight | package quantity | |
| Atomax | table. | 10 | 30 |
| Atorvastatin | table. | 20 | 30 |
| Canon | table. | 10 | 30 |
| Atoris | table. | 10 | 100 |
| Liprimar | table. | 10 | 30 |
| Torvacard | table. | 10 | 30 |
| Tulip | table. | 10 | 30 |
| Liptonorm | table. | 20 | 30 |
Simvastatin
Simvastatin is a semi-synthetic drug that is twice as effective as lovastatin. The initial daily dose is 10-20 mg, in the absence of the desired effect, it can be increased to 40 mg. The maximum allowable daily allowance is 80 mg per day.
| Drug name | Issue form | ||
| type | weight | package quantity | |
| Vazilip | table. | 10 | 14 |
| Zokor | table. | 10 | 28 |
| Ovencor | table. | 10 | 30 |
| "Simvahexal" | table. | 20 | 30 |
| "Simvacard" | table. | 10 | 28 |
| Simvastatin | table. | 10 | 20 |
| Simvastol | table. | 10 | 28 |
| "Symvor" | table. | 10 | 30 |
| Simgal | table. | 10 | 28 |
| Simlo | table. | 10 | 28 |
| Syncard | table. | 10 | 30 |
Fluvastatin
| Drug name | Issue form | ||
| type | weight | package quantity | |
| Lescol Forte | table. | 80 | 28 |
The synthetic drug fluvastatin is prescribed at a dose of 20-40 mg per day, but the optimal dose is 80 mg per day. It is prescribed to patients who receive cytotoxic drugs after organ transplantation.
Lovastatin
| Drug name | Issue form | ||
| type | weight | package quantity | |
| "Cardiotatain" | table. | 20 | 30 |
| "Choletar" | table. | 20 | 20 |
| "Cardiostatin" | table. | 40 | 30 |
Lovastatin is the only natural statin. Derived from the fungus Aspergillus terreus. The initial dose is 20 mg per day. It is used once, at night, after dinner. In some cases, the daily rate is increased to 40 mg per day. Practically not used in medical practice due to the emergence of more modern analog drugs.
