|
Statins are the first line of medical treatment for cholesterol reduction. Research into their use has produced numerous results, related to coronary artery disease, heart attacks, strokes and other conditions.
Overall, research continues to show that statins lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart-related death in patients with heart disease and some other conditions such as peripheral vascular disease. Research has also suggested that statins may slow the progression of heart valve disease.
Some of benefits appear when statins are used with nicotinic acid. The benefits may also occur when high doses of statins are administered after a heart attack or episode of unstable angina. Statins also significantly reduce the rates of death and coronary events in elderly patients. Recent studies have indicated that patients with heart failure who used statins for the first time had a reduced risk of death of nearly 25 percent when compared to individuals who did not use statins. Research is continuing as to the benefit of statin use in individuals with heart failure.
Statins also may reduce the risk of death and coronary events for people with diabetes, even when these patients have normal cholesterol levels. As a result, the American Diabetes Association recommends statins for individuals with diabetes bwho are over the age of 40 with a total cholesterol greater than 135. In addition, pravastatin has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Although diet is effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels, research has shown that fewer cardiac events occur in patients treated with statins compared to those treated with diet alone. This demonstrates statins can benefit both lipid levels and other factors in the cardiovascular system.
New research has also suggested that taking atorvastatin prior to heart surgery may reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients. AF is an irregular heartbeat that is usually triggered by certain heart surgeries. These procedures included heart bypass surgery and surgical repair of a faulty heart valve. The statin was given for a week before surgery and reduced AF by 61 percent in the statin patients. Additional research is necessary to test other statins and obtain conclusive results of the benefits.
Statins have been shown to benefit areas not specifically related to lipid levels. These include the following:
- Statins may reduce blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a substance produced by the liver in response to any inflammation (an inflammatory marker). CRP is the only inflammatory marker that has been found to be an indicator of heart health. Very high levels of CRP are found in the blood of patients who are having a heart attack or unstable angina symptoms. Mildly elevated CRP levels have been found in people with diabetes, glucose intolerance and high blood pressure (hypertension), all of which are independent risk factors for heart disease.
- Statins are thought to have mild anticoagulant properties, with an ability to help prevent blood clots.
- Statins have been found to improve symptoms of claudication associated with peripheral vascular disease.
- In addition to lowering LDL levels, statins have been shown to slow the process of calcification, the hard buildup of calcium deposits on the walls of an artery. Calcification is one of the factors involved in hardening and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis) and, if severe enough, may be associated with blockages.
Some drug manufacturers have proposed that certain statins be approved for over-the-counter use. However, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve of their proposals. All statins in the U.S. are available only through prescription.
| 
/doctor_89.jpg "ulcerative colitis tips")
