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Statin
Also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin, Simvastatin
Statins are medicines that lower cholesterol by reducing how much the liver makes. They are taken to lower the long-term risk of heart attack and stroke, not to treat a symptom.
Most of the in the blood is manufactured by the liver rather than eaten. A statin blocks the enzyme that governs that production, and the liver responds by pulling more out of the circulation — which is where the reduction comes from. Lower LDL means less lipid deposited into arterial walls, and so slower .
Why they are prescribed to people who feel well
High cholesterol produces no symptoms, so a statin is not making anyone feel better — it is lowering the probability of an event years away. That is why the decision rests on overall cardiovascular risk rather than the cholesterol number alone: age, blood pressure, smoking, and family history all enter it, and two people with identical results can reasonably receive different advice.
Liver enzymes are usually checked before starting and once afterwards. Statins interact with several drugs and with grapefruit juice, and they are stopped in pregnancy — so the full medicine list matters at the point of prescribing.
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Related terms
- CholesterolBlood lipids, Serum cholesterolCholesterol is a waxy fat the body needs to build cell walls, hormones and vitamin D. Problems come not from its presence but from the balance between the particles that deposit it in artery walls and those that carry it away.
- LDL cholesterolLDL, Low-density lipoproteinLDL cholesterol is the particle that carries cholesterol from the liver out to the tissues and deposits it in artery walls along the way. It is the number that treatment aims at, and lowering it reliably lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Lipid profileLipid panel, Cholesterol testA lipid profile is a blood test that measures the fats circulating in blood: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides. It is used to estimate the risk of heart attack and stroke and to decide whether cholesterol-lowering treatment is worthwhile.
- AtherosclerosisHardening of the arteries, Arterial plaqueAtherosclerosis is the build-up of fatty, fibrous plaque inside artery walls, which stiffens them and narrows the channel blood flows through. It develops silently over decades and is the process behind most heart attacks and strokes.
- TriglyceridesTriglycerides are the main form in which fat is carried in the blood and stored in the body. They are measured as part of a lipid profile, and a high level adds to cardiovascular risk.
- Side effectAdverse effect, Adverse drug reactionA side effect is any effect of a medicine other than the one it was given for. Some are trivial and settle, some are the reason a medicine has to be stopped.
- StrokeCerebrovascular accident, CVAA stroke is a sudden loss of blood supply to part of the brain, either from a blocked artery or a bleed. It is an emergency — treatment works only within a few hours of the first symptom.
- Liver function testLFT, Liver panelA liver function test is a group of blood measurements that together show whether liver cells are being damaged, whether bile is flowing freely, and how well the liver is doing its manufacturing work. Most of what it reports is not, strictly, function.