This means that for women, most of the lifelong benefit from statins occurs later in life and stopping therapy prematurely is likely more detrimental than for men.”
How long do I need take a statin for? Probably for the rest of your life, because they only work for as long as you continue taking them.
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. Just take your next dose as usual the following day.
Consider statins a lifelong commitment
But if the drug helped lower your cholesterol, you'll likely need to stay on it long term to keep your cholesterol down.
Summary: As many as one in two patients stop taking statins, reduce the dose or take them irregularly because they believe the cholesterol-lowering drugs cause muscle pain and other side-effects.
The average age at which patients started on statins was 62; nearly half (48.5%) of them were women. All had started treatment between 1990 and 2016. Any reduction in cholesterol below 40 per cent after two years of statin treatment was deemed to be a 'suboptimal' response.
Is it dangerous to suddenly stop taking your statin? Yes. Suddenly stopping your statin is dangerous. Data shows that the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death within 4 years of stopping a statin is high.
You should speak with your doctor before stopping the medicine under any circumstance. Can you stop taking statins once your cholesterol is normal? No, your cholesterol will likely return to the level it was before taking the medication a few months after stopping the medicine.
They also reduce mortality rates among those with excessive cholesterol. Well, stopping your statin suddenly is risky and can increase your risk of developing heart disease and other high cholesterol-related health issues such as stroke and heart attack," Dr Ahlawat shares.
Statins can stabilize cholesterol plaque already attached to artery walls, making it less likely to get worse or rupture, causing a heart attack or stroke. "Statins also help remove cholesterol from you blood by causing the liver to express more LDL cholesterol receptors that take cholesterol out of your blood," Dr.
Statin therapy
ASCVD risk 7.5–14.9% over 10 years Use shared decision-making. Consider treatment with a moderate- to high-intensity statin. ASCVD risk ≥ 15% over 10 years Initiate or continue moderate- to high-intensity statin.
Although there are some potential side effects long-term for statins, in most cases, if your doctor has identified you as having high cholesterol and needing a statin, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. Muscle aches are among the most common complaints.
If you start taking statins, you'll need to keep taking them in the long term – as your cholesterol levels will rise again if you stop taking them. They come as a tablet which you will need to take once a day. They should start to work within two to three months.
While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people. Rarely, they may cause liver damage.
Q: Can statins actually reverse plaque buildup? A: Yes.
If you stop taking a statin, your cholesterol levels will rise again. This might be difficult to hear, but statins are most beneficial when you take them on a long-term basis. If you make big lifestyle changes or lose a lot of weight, you can discuss with your doctor if coming off statins is right for you.
Background. Cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may be beneficial for treating depression and improving mood.
Regardless of age, those who have suffered a heart attack or stroke will benefit from taking a statin.
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.
Statin drugs have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in young and middle-aged adults. With older adults (those 75 and over), the benefits are less clear. But a recent study published in the European Heart Journal suggests that there is in fact a benefit to statin use in this older population.
Statins are effective, accessible, and affordable. However, well-known side effects like muscle pain keep some people from taking them.