The cholesterol-lowering action of alternate-day statins is as effective as daily dosing in many individuals. 6.
Background: Statins are generally well tolerated, but some patients discontinue therapy secondary to adverse effects. Dosing a statin (rosuvastatin) every other day (EOD) may provide significant lipoprotein changes while avoiding common adverse effects in this statin-intolerant population.
Alternate-day treatment with atorvastatin is comparable in efficacy and safety to the established daily treatment regimen, thus being a cost effective alternative.
Our analysis of current evidence suggests that intermittent statin administration is effective in lowering LDL levels in patients with dyslipidemia. All dosing regimens, including alternate days, 3 to 5 times a week, 2 to 3 times a week, and once a week, were shown to be effective.
Statins come as tablets that are taken once a day. For some types of statin it does not matter what time of day you take it, as long as you stick to the same time. Some types of statin should be taken in the evening. Check with your doctor whether there's a particular time of day you should take your statin.
If you're taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to keep taking your prescription, or your cholesterol will likely go back up. Stopping your statin can put you at risk of having heart disease and other preventable health problems like stroke and heart attack from high cholesterol.
Official answer. It takes about 77 hours (3 days) for atorvastatin to be out of your system. The elimination half life of atorvastatin is approximately 14 hours. This is the time it takes for your body to reduce plasma drug levels by half.
Intermittent statin dosing is associated with a reduction in LDL-C by 20-40%. Statins with longer half-lives can be initially dosed once weekly, and up-titrated to as frequently as every other day dosing.
Statins are typically very successful at lowering cholesterol, but they only work as long as you're taking them. Therefore, most people who begin taking a statin medication will likely take it for the rest of their lives.
According to a research review people who take simvastatin (Zocor) or pravastatin (Pravachol) may experience fewer side effects.
Results: Atorvastatin 10 mg daily produced a significant reduction in Total Cholesterol (TC), LDL, Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) as compared to Atorvastatin 10 mg alternate day. The increase in the HDL level was also greater with a daily dose as compared to alternate day (but not statistically significant).
Now, if you are asking whether it is safe to split a tablet to get to the recommended dosage, the answer is yes. Lipitor does not have special coating or formulation that makes it a timed-release medication. Breaking the tablet in half will not alter its function or metabolism.
Published data have demonstrated that instead of administering rosuvastatin on a daily basis, alternative dosing schedules (every other day, three times a week, and twice a week) for patients with previous adverse events, presumably secondary to statin therapy, have improved patient tolerability and at the same time ...
If you forget to take your dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the next day, skip the missed dose and take the next one at the usual time. If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you.
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors such as atorvastatin and rosuvastatin are more potent than older statins. They have half-lives of at least 14 hours. Extended-release fluvastatin, or Lescol XL, can be taken at any time of day.
Conclusions: Every-other-day dosing of rosuvastatin may be an alternative regimen for cost savings, without a major decrease in therapeutic benefit or increase in adverse events, in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
Statins help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, in the blood. They draw cholesterol out of plaque and stabilize plaque, Blaha says.
After having their cholesterol tested, seniors should be given a number between 190 and 260. Healthy seniors should keep their total cholesterol below 200 and their LDL cholesterol around 100. If your elderly loved one's LDL cholesterol level is above 160, he or she must start making sweeping lifestyle changes.
Another option is to stay on the twice-weekly schedule and raise the dose to 5 mg. “By introducing statins slowly, 70% of “statin intolerant” patients end up being able to take a statin: 60% of them can take it every day, and 10% can take it three times a week,” Dr. Cho says.
Intermittent statin dosing is defined as any statin prescription that is not taken on a daily basis notwithstanding the dose. All subjects received nutritional recommendations and education as a routine part of each patient visit.
Our study reported that both 5 mg and 10 mg rosuvastatin significantly decreases blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL levels.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
The most important thing your doctor will keep in mind when thinking about statin treatment is your long-term risk of a heart attack or stroke. 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).
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-related muscle pain, if it happens at all, usually happens within the first few months after you start the drug or raise the dose. You may feel a constant soreness or weakness in your shoulders, thighs, hips, or calves. If you're like most people, it'll affect both sides of your body equally.