In Australia, statins are recommended for people who have, or are at high risk of, cardiovascular disease. There are several different types of statins, including atorvastatin (Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor), pravastatin, fluvastatin and simvastatin.
Statins. Statins are the most common medicine for high cholesterol. They reduce the amount of cholesterol your body makes.
Statins. Statins are one of the better-known types of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Providers choose these for the majority of people because they work well. Statins decrease cholesterol output by blocking the HMG CoA reductase enzyme that the liver uses to make cholesterol.
The new bempedoic acid drug – currently called Nexletol – is being developed by US-based Esperion Therapeutics and will go to the Therapeutics Goods Administration for approval for use in Australia.
Bempedoic acid (Nexletol), a cholesterol-lowering drug intended for people who can't or won't take statins, was shown to reduce the risk of heart attack by 23 percent, according to a late-breaking clinical trial recently presented at the American College of Cardiology Conference and published online March 4 in the New ...
MONDAY, March 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Not everyone can tolerate statins to reduce their high cholesterol, but now a new study finds the medication bempedoic acid (Nexletol) reduced the combined rate of bad cardiovascular events by 13%.
By Lauran Neergaard • Published March 6, 2023
shows the cholesterol-lowering drug Nexletol made by Esperion Therapeutics Inc. Drugs known as statins are the first-choice treatment for high cholesterol but millions of people who can't or won't take those pills because of side effects may have another option.
If you've made lifestyle changes through diet and exercise that have lowered your cholesterol levels, you may not need to continue taking a statin. These changes can help reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, or blocked arteries while allowing you to take one less medication.
Fear of side effects and perceived side effects are the most common reasons for declining or discontinuing statin therapy. Willingness to take a statin is high, among both patients who have declined statin therapy and those who have never been offered one.
Statin use is associated with increased calorie intake and consequent weight gain. It is speculated that statin‐dependent improvements in lipid profile may undermine the perceived need to follow lipid‐lowering and other dietary recommendations leading consequently to increased calorie intake.
As a general guide, total cholesterol levels should be: 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults. 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk.
High cholesterol levels are considered: too high: between 5 and 6.4mmol/l. very high: between 6.5 and 7.8mmol/l. extremely high: above 7.8mmol/l.
You usually have to continue taking statins for life because if you stop taking them, your cholesterol will return to a high level. If you forget to take your dose, do not take an extra one to make up for it.
Which statin is safest for the liver? A low-dose statin like atorvastatin (Lipitor®) is safe for most patients, including those with mild liver enzyme abnormalities.
The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association developed some prescription guidelines. Typically, if a person's LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) is 190 or higher, they're often advised to start a statin.
Long prescribed to reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood, high doses of statins might even end plaque build-up, according to researchers.
In the analysis of 135 previous studies, which included nearly 250,000 people combined, researchers found that the drugs simvastatin (Zocor) and pravastatin (Pravachol) had the fewest side effects in this class of medications.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
If your risk is very low, you probably won't need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L). If your risk is very high — for example, you've had a heart attack in the past — a statin may be helpful even if you don't have high cholesterol.
Ezetimibe is a tablet that lowers cholesterol. It may be prescribed if statins cannot be taken, or alongside a statin for extra cholesterol-lowering. It's a 'cholesterol absorption inhibitor' that limits the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine.