Home Treatment & Recovery Cholesterol Drugs - Page 2

Cholesterol Drugs - Page 2

Statins

Prescribed Statins


Statins (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors)
(check with manufacturer for specific information on each drug)

Generic:

Atorvastatin

Fluvastatin

Lovastatin

Pravastatin

Simvastatin

Rosuvastatin

Commonly prescribed brands:

Lipitor

Lescol

Altocor
Mevacor

Pravachol

Zocor

Crestor

How they are given:

Oral pill

Oral pill

Oral pill

Oral pill

Oral pill

Oral pill

What they are used for:

  • Combined with diet and exercise to reduce LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides in people with high cholesterol
  • Reduces the risk of heart problems including heart attack in patients who do not have symptoms of heart disease
  • May slow down the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries of the heart in people with heart disease

You should not take these drugs if:

  • You have liver disease or other liver problems

Possible side effects:

  • Constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle pains, liver problems.

Pregnancy/nursing:

  • Cholesterol is essential for healthy fetal development so you should not take statins if you are or may become pregnant. You should not take statins if you are nursing if treatment is essential then nursing should be discontinued.

 

What are statins?
Statins are among the most powerful cholesterol-lowering medications prescribed; they include atorvastatin (Lipitor) and simvastatin (Zocor). Statins reduce the production of cholesterol in the liver by inhibiting an enzyme called HMG CoA reductase; they are sometimes called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors. They are very effective at lowering total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, making them the drug of choice for most women with high cholesterol. Statins also reduce the risk of dying or having a heart attack in women with heart disease, and they are increasingly prescribed to women at risk for heart problems even if their cholesterol levels are not very high. In 2003, 65.5 million prescriptions were written for atorvastatin (Lipitor) alone, and an additional 45.6 million for the next 3 most popular statins then available.7 Rosuvastatin (Crestor) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2003.

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Filed in Treatment & Recovery > Cholesterol Drugs


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