What can I take instead of a statin?

7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins
  • Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis. ...
  • Plant stanols and sterols. ...
  • Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins. ...
  • Niacin. ...
  • Policosanol. ...
  • Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) ...
  • Natural products.

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What is the new cholesterol drug that is not a statin?

In studies, Nexletol also appears to reduce the risk of muscle pain, a common complaint of people on statins. Nexletol (bempedoic acid) is a new cholesterol-lowering drug.

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What is the alternative to taking statins?

Ezetimibe. Ezetimibe is a tablet that lowers cholesterol. It may be prescribed if statins cannot be taken, or alongside a statin for extra cholesterol-lowering. It's a 'cholesterol absorption inhibitor' that limits the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine.

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What is a natural alternative to statin drugs?

For patients who can't tolerate cholesterol-lowering statins, natural remedies like bergamot, garlic and green tea may be a useful alternative, based on a recent statement published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Is there a way to lower cholesterol without statins?

Exercise can improve cholesterol. Moderate physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol. With your doctor's OK, work up to at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week or vigorous aerobic activity for 20 minutes three times a week.

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Alternatives to statin medications that help lower cholesterol without side effects

32 related questions found

What reduces cholesterol quickly naturally?

Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods

Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your LDL cholesterol.

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What reduces cholesterol quickly?

Soluble fiber grabs onto cholesterol particles in your gut before they can reach your bloodstream. Soluble fiber helps to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Foods high in soluble fiber include fruit, nuts, whole grains, beans, lentils, and chickpeas.

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Can you get off statins once you start?

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.

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What is the most gentle statin?

Which cholesterol-lowering drug is the safest? Overall, statins are safe as a class of drugs. Serious adverse events are very rare. Among the individual medications, studies have shown that simvastatin (Zocor®) and pravastatin (Pravachol®) seem to be safer and better tolerated than the other statins.

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What are the reasons not to take statins?

Statins should not be taken if you have liver disease or if blood tests suggest that your liver may not be working properly. This is because statins can affect your liver, and this is more likely to cause serious problems if you already have a damaged liver.

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What is the best natural statin?

There's some evidence that the following are effective when it comes to reducing cholesterol levels.
  1. Red yeast rice. Red yeast rice is a product of the yeast that grows on rice. ...
  2. Psyllium. Psyllium is an herb that's often used to treat constipation because it contains large amounts of fiber. ...
  3. Fenugreek. ...
  4. Fish oil.

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Why are doctors against statins?

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 who take them and may rarely cause liver damage.

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Are statins more harmful than helpful?

Researchers warn that unless a patient is at high risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, statins may cause more harm than good'.

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What is the least harmful statin?

According to a research review people who take simvastatin (Zocor) or pravastatin (Pravachol) may experience fewer side effects.

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Which statin is least likely to cause muscle weakness?

Is muscle pain a side effect of all statins? Even though all statins are similar chemically, they have some minor differences that could impact how likely they are to cause muscle pain. Simvastatin is the most likely to cause muscle pain, and fluvastatin is the least likely.

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What is the first drug of choice for cholesterol?

Statins are the most common medicine for high cholesterol. They reduce the amount of cholesterol your body makes. You take a tablet once a day. You usually need to take them for life.

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How high should cholesterol be before taking statins?

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).

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Is taking a statin every other day effective?

The cholesterol-lowering action of alternate-day statins is as effective as daily dosing in many individuals. 6.

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What foods drastically reduce cholesterol?

Foods to help lower cholesterol
  • Oats and grains. Oats and grains are a great source of soluble fiber. ...
  • Legumes. ...
  • Non-starchy vegetables. ...
  • Nuts and seeds. ...
  • Fruits. ...
  • Soybeans, edamame and tofu. ...
  • Fish. ...
  • Olive oil and avocados.

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Does drinking water lower cholesterol?

When people have high cholesterol their LDL (bad) is high and their HDL (good) is low. Eating healthy, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water will help to bring down cholesterol levels within 2-3 weeks.

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Are bananas good for cholesterol?

The fiber and potassium in bananas can reduce the level of cholesterol and blood pressure. Banana is especially known as a good source of soluble fibre which will gives one a healthy body and good immune system.

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Does coffee affect your cholesterol?

While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.

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What vitamins lower cholesterol?

Niacin is a B vitamin. Doctors sometimes suggest it for patients with high cholesterol or heart concerns. It increases the level of good cholesterol and reduces triglycerides, another fat that can clog arteries. You can get niacin from foods, especially liver and chicken, or from supplements.

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What are the warning signs of high cholesterol?

High cholesterol has no symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect if you have it.

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