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Are Statins Bad for You?

Statins are powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs that have helped millions of people bring down dangerously high cholesterol levels that resisted reduction through diet alone. However, as beneficial as statins can be, they also have some drawbacks and in rare cases can lead to potentially fatal complications. If you need to lower your cholesterol readings but are not sure if statins are for you, you must carefully weigh the benefits and risks and, with your doctor's input, make an informed decision about whether to begin taking them.

  1. What Are Statins?

    • Statins target levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in the body and have been shown to be more effective in lowering LDL readings than any other class of medication. LDL is commonly referred to as bad cholesterol to distinguish it from its counterpart, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is known as good cholesterol. According to Medicine.net, statins work by inhibiting the enzyme---HMG-CoA reductase---that controls the body's rate of cholesterol production. Statins also help increase the liver's efficiency in removing LDL that is already in the bloodstream.

    Side Effects

    • The side effects of statins, according to MayoClinic.com, can be uncomfortable but may be worth suffering through when weighed against the drugs' benefits. The most common complaint heard from those taking statins is muscle pain, which can range from mild to severe. In very rare cases, statin use can lead to a life-threatening condition called rhabdomyolysis, which can cause kidney failure, liver damage and even death. Other side effects include digestive problems, rash, flushing and possible neurological complications. There have been claims of a link between statin use and memory loss and Lou Gehrig's disease, but research has thus far been unable to prove such a relationship.

    Popular Statins

    • A number of widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications fall into the class of drugs known as statins. These include atorvastatin, sold under the brand name of Lipitor; fluvastatin, marketed as Lescol; lovastatin, sold as Mevacor; pravastatin, or Pravachol; rosuvastatin, or Crestor; and simvastatin, sold as Zocor.

    Alternatives to Statins

    • If you have dangerously high levels of bad cholesterol and have other risk factors associated with high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke, you must consult with your doctor about what course of action to take. While dietary adjustments may help, they have been shown to be of limited value for most patients. There are some natural supplements that have shown effectiveness in lowering bad cholesterol, and you may want to discuss using one or more of these with your physician. According to MayoClinic.com, such supplements include artichoke extract, beta-sitosterol, barley, blond psyllium, fish oil, ground flaxseed, garlic extract, oat bran and sitostanol.

    Study Foresees Wider Use

    • A report by Yale University researchers, published in January 2009, indicated that the prescription of statin drugs is likely to become even more widespread if the results of a study sponsored by a pharmaceutical company are proven correct. That study, sponsored by AstraZeneca, which markets Crestor, showed that the threat of heart attack or stroke was reduced by 44 percent in patients who had relatively normal levels of LDL but elevated readings of C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of widespread inflammation in the body.

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