This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
They showed that after starting lovastatin, a statin drug, the efficacy of thyroxine, as indicated by clinical and biochemical measures, decreased significantly. Since statin drugs and thyroxine are frequently prescribed together, it is necessary to assess the interaction between them.
Taking the thyroid hormone replacement medicine levothyroxine (Levothroid, Synthroid) to treat an underactive thyroid can also help lower your cholesterol level. When your thyroid hormone level is just marginally low, you may not need thyroid hormone replacement.
When you have hypothyroidism, your body doesn't make enough thyroid hormones. This can increase your cholesterol levels. In fact, research suggests that even slightly low levels of thyroid hormones can cause a spike in cholesterol.
Thyroid hormone has a direct effect on cholesterol levels. Hypothyroid patients have increased cholesterol levels compared to individuals with normal thyroid function. Treatment with thyroid hormone often lowers the cholesterol levels in patients with hypothyroidism.
Drugs known to interfere with levothyroxine included iron, calcium, estrogen, proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists (reflux medications), statins (cholesterol medications), anti-rheumatic drugs and gluco- corticoids (steroid medications).
Improve your diet A heart-healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein sources like poultry, fish, and nuts, and low in saturated and trans fats, can have a big effect on your cholesterol levels.
And hypothyroidism is known to be associated with atherosclerosis and ischemic heart diseases. The accelerated atherosclerosis in hypothyroid state has been traditionally ascribed to atherogenic lipid profile, diastolic hypertension and impaired endothelial function.
If an underactive thyroid is not treated, it can lead to complications, including heart disease, goitre, pregnancy problems and a life-threatening condition called myxoedema coma (although this is very rare).
Insufficient thyroid hormone slows your heart rate. Because it also makes the arteries less elastic, blood pressure rises in order to circulate blood around the body. Elevated cholesterol levels, which contribute to narrowed, hardened arteries, are another possible consequence of low thyroid levels.
Not enough iodine.
Too little iodine can lead to hypothyroidism. Too much iodine can make hypothyroidism worse in people who already have the condition. In some parts of the world, it's common for people not to get enough iodine in their diets.
Just as there shouldn't be food in your stomach when you take your hypothyroidism medication, it's also important to avoid taking any other medication at the same time. Specifically, antacids, calcium, cholesterol drugs, and iron supplements can each interfere with the way the thyroid hormone is absorbed.
For most people with hypothyroidism, levothyroxine is the best treatment option. If levothyroxine isn't working or if someone cannot take it, liothyronine would be next in line. Natural thyroid medications — and alternative therapies like iodine — aren't recommended for use.
Avoid taking your thyroid hormone at the same time as:
Iron supplements or multivitamins containing iron. Calcium supplements. Antacids that contain aluminum, magnesium or calcium. Some ulcer medications, such as sucralfate (Carafate)
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.
Do not start a statin in patients ages ≥ 75 years who do not have known vascular disease or type 2 diabetes; start or continue a statin in all patients ages 75 to 84 with type 2 diabetes to prevent cardiovascular events and mortality; and start or continue a statin in patients ages > 75 years who have known vascular ...
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.