STATINS?

THEY HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEDICINES TO REDUCE CHOLESTEROL. NEW SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE CONTINUES TO SURFACE ABOUT HOW TO BEST PREVENT AND TREAT DISEASES OF THE EHART AND BLOOD VESSELS.

THE NEW GUIDELINES EMPHASIZE GLOBAL RISK ASSESSMENT, NOT JUST BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS, IN SELECTING WHO ARE LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM STATIN THERAPY.

OTHER COMPONENTS OF GLOBAL RISK INCLUDE:

• AGE;
• GENDER;
• DIABELTES;
• HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, AND;
• CIGARETTE SMOKING.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE THESE FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DECIDING WHTHER OR JOT TO START A PATIENT ON A STATIN. SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH NORMAL OR NEAR-NORMAL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR STATIN THERAPY, IF OTHER PARAMETERS OF THEIR GLOBAL RISK ASSESSMENT IDENTIFY THEM TO BE AT HIGH FUTURE RISK OF HEART DISEASE OR STROKE.

THERE IS ALSO A SMALL, BUT SIGNIFICANT POSSIBILITY THAT STATINS AND OTHER CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUGS, SUCH AS NIACIN, COULD CAUSE PROBLEMATIC SIDE EFFECTS. SO, SOME PATIENT MAY REQUIRE MORE CAREFUL MONITORING WHILE OTHERS MAY NEED TO COMPLETELY AVOID STATINS.

THE MOST COMMON SIDE EFFECT FROM TAKING STATINS IS MUSCLE PAIN AND WEAKNESS. BASED ON YOUR SYMPTOMS OR LABORATORY TEST RESULTS, YOUR DOCTOR CAN REFER TO THE GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE ON HOW TO MANAGE YOUR SIDE EFFECTS.

IN FACT, RECENT DATA SUGGEST THAT THE BENEFIT OF STATINS IS BETTER PREDICTED BY OVERALL CARDIOVASCULAR RISK THAN BY LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVEL.