Are Statins Bad For You? Your Guide to Cholesterol Medication

Cholesterol is naturally built by the body, but too much cholesterol can cause negative reactions in the body. Statins can help reduce the amount of cholesterol, but are statins bad for you?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports 55%, or 43 million, Americans could benefit from taking cholesterol medicine. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease, which is the leading cause of death.

Cholesterol is used by the body to build cells and make vitamins. The liver makes it. Other cholesterol comes from foods like meat and dairy products. If the foods you eat are high in fat, the liver produces even more cholesterol. Higher levels of cholesterol in the body are not good.

Cholesterol circulates in the blood. Too much of it will start to build up in the arteries. The more buildup, the less freely blood can flow to your major organs.

The food you eat is not the only contributor to cholesterol levels in the body. Genetics plays a significant role. For some, changing diet and increasing exercise may not reduce the risk of cholesterol problems. In either case, treatment is needed.

Statins are the most common medicines prescribed to regulate cholesterol.

What Are Statins?

There are over 35 million Americans with a statin prescription. As mentioned, the liver makes enough cholesterol for the body. Statins work by limiting the amount of cholesterol liver enzymes can create. They are also known to:

• Act as an anti-inflammatory
• Prevent existing plaque from growing
• Reduce platelet activity
• Reduce cholesterol oxidation so it can’t build up on the walls of the arteries

Statins have helped many people avoid major heart-related problems by keeping cholesterol levels low.

Who Benefits From Statins?

There are certain groups of people who may benefit more from the use of statins than others. This includes people who already have heart disease. Further, people aged 40 or higher with Type 2 diabetes or have a ten-year risk of heart disease of 7.5 or higher. This is based on the results a risk calculator provides when the doctor enters information regarding your health history. Examples include a family history of high cholesterol, diet, and fitness regimen.

Your doctor must also consider factors that would make you a bad candidate for taking statins, like are you at greater risk for side effects.

Side Effects of Statins

Common statin side effects include muscle aches, weakness, and pain. Some people may feel:

• Cramps
• Stiffness
• Joint or bone pain
• Digestive problems
• Sexual dysfunction
• Memory problems
• Become easily fatigued

Side effects may appear more frequently in people who have low muscle mass, thyroid disease, and low vitamin D levels.

Increased chance of getting Type 2 diabetes, liver problems, rhabdomyolysis is rare but still possible.

Statin Interactions

It’s always a good idea to talk to your pharmacist before taking statins. Your pharmacist can discuss which medicines and foods may interact with statins. Reports show grapefruit juice, antacids, antibiotics, fibrates, warfarin, and some high blood pressure medications may increase the chances of interaction.

In addition, there are some antidepressants, oral contraceptives, and over-the-counter acid reflux medicines that may produce interactions.

Common Statins

Cholesterol medicines come in both generic and brand names. The list includes:

• Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
• Fluvastatin (Lescol, Lescol XL)
• Lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev)
• Pravastatin (Pravachol)
• Rosuvastatin (Crestor)
• Simvastatin (Zocor)
• Pitavastatin (Livalo)

These statin medicines are mass-produced and designed as a one-size-fits-all type of drug. The only thing that can be altered is the dose. That means everyone prescribed statins is taking one of three or four-dose options.

There is a better way to getting a better statin. Your pharmacist can create compounded statins.

What Are Compounded Statins?

Compounding is a process in which your pharmacist creates a statin from scratch using a specific recipe. Ingredients used to create your statin are based on your needs. If you have allergies to particular components, they are left out.

If you need to combine two types of statins, your pharmacist can create one medicine that includes both drugs.

A compounding pharmacy gives you options. You can choose a pill, tablet, or liquid version. You can add flavoring and color. Compounding makes you the priority, not the drug.

Your pharmacist will also be able to educate you on alternatives to statins.

Alternative Medicines to Lower Cholesterol

The FDA has approved non-statin medicines and foods to help lower cholesterol, and some of them have been around a lot longer than the statins prescribed today. For example, bile acid-binding resins, PCSK9 inhibitors, red yeast rice, and fish oil.

Other options include fibric acids and niacin. Also, foods high in soluble fiber, including legumes, avocados, broccoli, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and whole grains.

Your compounding pharmacist can create herbal remedies that benefit cholesterol levels. They can even combine herbals to provide additional benefits like boosting the immune system or raising vitamin D levels.

Your local pharmacist can provide you with additional tips and ideas on how to lower cholesterol levels.

Tips for Lowering Cholesterol

Diet and exercise play a crucial role in lowering cholesterol. Tips your pharmacist may recommend include reduce saturated fats, avoid trans fats, add whey protein, and increase fiber. Increasing exercise provides benefits far beyond reducing cholesterol levels.

You can quickly see positive results with just thirty minutes of exercise a few days a week. Make exercise fun by doing things you enjoy. Play a sport you enjoyed in elementary school, ride a bike, jump on a mini trampoline, go swimming.

Lifestyle changes you can make to lower cholesterol stopping unhealthy habits. If you smoke, quit. If you need help, ask your pharmacist to recommend products to help you quit, and if you drink alcohol, limit how much you consume.

Learn to stress less and laugh more.

Final Thoughts on Statins

The answer to whether statins are harmful is not a simple yes or no answer. For some, statins are a lifesaver. For others, they can cause discomfort. To get the answer to whether statins are bad or good for you, consult with your pharmacist and physician.

Please provide them with enough information that they can make an accurate determination. Together, you can develop the right plan for reducing your cholesterol levels.