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How to use statins to manage cholesterol
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- Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum , Cardiologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, NY
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Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum
Cardiologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, NY
Are statins really a miracle drug for people at risk for heart disease? Should everyone take them? Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital, explains what you need to know about statins.
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Instructions
How to use statins to manage cholesterol
Are Zocor and Lipitor—brand names for statins—really the miracle drugs that advertising says they are? Maybe...
Here's what you need to know:- Statins are a group of drugs that reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol, slightly increase HDL ("good") cholesterol, and may help with diabetes. By decreasing inflammation and changing cholesterol patterns in our arteries, they stabilize plaque and decrease the risk of heart disease.
- As with any medication there is a small risk of side effects from statins, including muscle aches. And if you start a statin regimen, you need to initially have your liver enzymes checked every six weeks. Once you know you can tolerate statins with no side effects, you can take them almost indefinitely to prevent the onset and progression of plaque and heart disease.
- Statins do not take the place of exercise and a prudent diet. For optimum heart health you need to continue to eat right—low fat/low cholesterol/high fiber foods. A prudent diet is also important for controlling triglycerides, another risk factor in heart disease. Substitute multi-grain foods, fruits, vegetables, legumes and foods with omega 3 fatty acids for pastas, white bread and simple sugars to increase your HDL and lower both inflammation and your triglycerides. Your physician may also want to add niacin, a prescription vitamin, to your diet.
- While statins can be prescribed by any physician, it is important to consult with a cardiologist if you have any pre-existing risk factors for heart disease—high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, family history of heart disease at an early age, diabetes, obesity or a sedentary lifestyle.
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