How Do Statins Help Prevent Heart Disease?
Updated: 4:16am UK, Wednesday 11 June 2014
Statins are a group of drugs prescribed to help lower the level of "bad" cholesterol in a person's blood.
The official term for "bad" cholesterol is low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that, over time, can lead to a hardening and narrowing of the arteries and heart (cardiovascular) disease.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in the UK.
People with CVD mainly suffer from one of four problems: coronary heart disease, when the blood supply to the heart becomes restricted; angina, a sharp chest pain, caused by coronary heart disease; heart attacks, when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked; or stroke, when the supply of blood to the brain becomes blocked.
Statins are prescribed to lower the production of LDL cholesterol inside the liver and thus lower the risk of CVD.
There are five types of statins available on prescription in the UK - atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), pravastatin (Lipostat), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor).
They come in tablet form and are taken once a day at a regular time.
Doctors usually prescribe statins to patients with a history of CVD or whose personal or family medical history suggest they may develop it within the next 10 years.
In most cases, people who take statins will need to keep taking them for the rest of their lives to prevent a return to dangerous levels of cholesterol.
For some people, statins may have side effects. These include an upset stomach, a headache or nausea.
Very rarely, according to NHS Choices, there are cases involving more serious side effects such as kidney failure.
Opponents of statins say a person can reduce their cholesterol level naturally through a change in diet and lifestyle.
They advise eating a healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids (commonly found in oily fish), as well as losing weight, regular exercise, moderate drinking and giving up smoking.
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