No, atorvastatin isn't a blood thinner. It's a statin drug that works to: help improve cholesterol problems. lower your risk for heart-related problems.
In addition to working on the inner lining of blood vessels and the heart muscle, the statins have been shown to modestly decrease the blood's ability to clot. Overall, this seems to be a beneficial side effect and does not appear to increase the risk of internal bleeding.
Finally, it is worth knowing that atorvastatin can reduce the activity of platelets, our blood cells responsible for producing blood clots.
Results: Statin users had an elevated risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, which was especially apparent in the first year of treatment (1-year adjusted hazard ratio 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-1.23).
Modification of the lipid profile with statins has been shown to increase endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Theoretically, this could reduce vascular resistance and improve blood flow through collateral vessels of the lower extremity.
Atorvastatin can stabilize atherosclerotic plaque, but it can not reverse atheromatous plaque.
Statins should be taken with caution if you're at an increased risk of developing a rare side effect called myopathy, which is where the tissues of your muscles become damaged and painful. Severe myopathy (rhabdomyolysis) can lead to kidney damage. Things that can increase this risk include: being over 70 years old.
Statins are among the safest and most studied medications. Statins save lives and prevent heart attacks and strokes.
The benefit of high-dose atorvastatin has been sustained for at least 5 years. Conclusion: After an ACS, high-dose atorvastatin should be continued for at least 5 years. High-dose atorvastatin demonstrated a reduction in coronary events but dose reductions and higher discontinuation rates were also noted.
Dr. Carimi says muscle-related complications are the most common side effect from taking statins. “The most common reason people stop taking statins is because of side effects, like muscle aches, but many have muscle pains from other causes and stop taking the medication in error,” Dr. Carimi says.
Adults—At first, 10 or 20 milligrams (mg) once a day. Some patients may need to start at 40 mg per day. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 80 mg per day.
Anticoagulants, such as heparin or warfarin (also called Coumadin), slow down your body's process of making clots. Antiplatelets, such as aspirin and clopidogrel, prevent blood cells called platelets from clumping together to form a clot.
Statins exert many pleiotropic effects in addition to cholesterol lowering. These properties may contribute to both its protective effects and also some unwanted side effects, including an increased risk for bleeding.
Compared to younger adults, older adults are more likely to suffer serious side effects from using statins. Statins can cause muscle problems, such as aches, pains, or weakness. Rarely, there can be a severe form of muscle breakdown.
Atorvastatin every other day significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and LDL-c versus baseline. The TC, TG, and LDL-c levels were lower by 23 per cent, 8 per cent, and 30 per cent. Increase in HDL-c level was not statistically significant.
Long-term atorvastatin treatment leads to alterations in behavior, cognition, and hippocampal biochemistry - PMC. The .
Context: Heart failure (HF) is rapidly increasing in incidence and is often present in patients receiving long-term statin therapy.
Reducing your dosage, adding supplements, or stopping the drug altogether might all be options. Overall, the most important thing is to keep your cholesterol levels under control. Stopping statins on your own won't accomplish that goal and could cause serious health risks.
Doses of 20 mg/d lovastatin or pravastatin or 10 mg/d simvastatin generally reduce plasma LDL cholesterol levels by about 20% to 30%. Higher doses of these drugs can reduce LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 40%.
BP-lowering effects of atorvastatin were consistent in both daytime and nighttime periods. This study shows a mild, but consistent throughout the 24-h period BP-lowering effect of atorvastatin in patients with mild hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia.
Statins may occasionally be associated with mild transaminase elevations but can also result in life-threatening liver injury. Atorvastatin is the most common cause of clinically significant liver injury in this drug class.
Most cholesterol is created at night, when the body is closer to a fasting state. Because atorvastatin is prescribed to block the production of excess cholesterol, it's often recommended to be taken at night - though it will generally work if you take it during the day, too.