Statin Medications Statins Presentation

Statins. What is statins? (IWhat is statins? (IIRisks & Side Effects of Statins. Statin Intolerance. Who is at risk for statin intolerance? Cholesterol guidelines (ICholesterol guidelines (IICholesterol guidelines (IIIHealthy lifestyle is still key for preventing heart disease.

Statin medications (statins) are drugs that help lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Statins help prevent coronary heart disease in patients without a history of CVD (primary prevention) and those who are at very high risk of developing CVD (such as patients with diabetes, genetic familial hyperlipidemias) or have had some form of CVD, including heart attack, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), angioplasty, coronary artery stent placement or peripheral vascular disease (secondary prevention).

Statins are the first-line treatment of choice for patients with high cholesterol and those diagnosed with coronary heart disease. Statins have additional benefits beyond lowering cholesterol levels (pleiotropic effects); they also help the lining of the blood vessels work better (improved endothelial function), enhance the stability of atherosclerotic plaques, reduce the amount of inflammation and damage done to cells through oxidation (oxidative stress), and keep blood platelets from clumping together (platelet aggregation), thereby reducing the risk of a blood clot (thrombus).

Fortunately, side effects with statins are not common, occurring in only in up to 3% of people individuals in randomized clinical trials on statins and most are not serious.