Statins don’t have only benefits, but a lot of side effects as well.
This is what you need to know about cholesterol-lowering statin. If you’ve ever considered taking the medicine in order to prevent a heart attack, you must know that having high cholesterol level isn’t enough to qualify you for it.
Experts said that the people with ages between 40 and 75 years will benefit from the popular medicine the most. Their risk of the cardiovascular disease needs to be of at least 10%. But new research proves that people with at lower risk of having a heart disease could benefit from the medication as well.
Statins like Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor usually lower the levels of cholesterol from 25% to 35% and they have been recommended by doctors for a long time.
Researchers say that doctors should recommend the medication to people who have high cholesterol, smoke, or have diabetes. People who have at least a 10% chance of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years could benefit from statin, as well as people with high blood pressure. People who have less than 10% risk of having a heart attack should discuss the statin option with their doctor. You can calculate your stroke risk using the American Heart Association’s online calculator, available on their website.
In 2013, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association stated that statins should be recommended to the patients who showed at least a 7,5% heart attack risk in the next 10 years. Their statement was highly controversial because the new number meant that millions of Americans who didn’t qualify before, could now take statin.
Statin doesn’t only have benefits. It also has a lot of side effects that sometimes make people reconsider taking the medicine. One of the most common mistakes of statin is the muscle pain. The pain can vary between a small discomfort to a pain that can make the daily activities hard to do. There is also a muscle damage that can be caused by statin called rhabdomyolysis. The disease can lead to kidney failure, liver damage and even death. Don’t worry though because this side effect is extremely rare. The medicine can also cause digestive problems like diarrhea, constipation, gas or nausea. Type 2 of diabetes, memory loss or confusion are also side effects of statin.
Experts revealed that there are some factors that lead to having side effects, like being a female, having a small body frame, having diabetes, being older than 65 year and drinking too much alcohol.
This is what you need to know about cholesterol-lowering statin and the next time you consider it, keep in mind that the medicine doesn’t bring only benefits.
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