A high blood cholesterol level, defined as a total cholesterol of 240 mg/dL or higher, is a major risk factor for heart disease -- the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For those who suffer from high cholesterol and cannot lower it through lifestyles changes, taking a cholesterol reducing medication may help. The group of medications known as statins are most effective a lowering cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association.
Mechanism of Action
Your body produces approximately 75 percent of your total amount of cholesterol while dietary cholesterol found in food provides the other 25 percent. Statin medications inhibit the action of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, also known as HMG-CoA reductase. This enzyme is vital for the cells in the liver to produce cholesterol. By inhibiting it, statin medications effectively slow the production of cholesterol resulting in lower blood cholesterol levels.
Types of Statins
Scientists discovered the fist statin medication, known as mevastatin, in 1978. This and other early statin medications were originally isolated from fungi. Since then scientists developed new statin medications by modifying the original drugs or synthetically producing them in the laboratory, according to research published in "Cellular Molecular Life Science". Your doctor may prescribe one of the many approved statin drugs including lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin.
Other Benefits
In addition to lowering cholesterol levels statin medications may provide other health benefits. One of the dangers of high cholesterol is the formation of plaques -- a substance consisting of cholesterol, minerals and other cellular waste -- along the walls of the blood vessels. The plaques may rupture and send pieces into the heart resulting in a heart attack. Statin medications stabilize the lining of the blood vessels reducing the chance of rupture. Statins also dilate blood vessels, which helps to lower blood pressure, and trigger an anti-inflammatory response which may benefit other chronic diseases like arthritis and autoimmune diseases.
Side Effects
When trying to lower cholesterol levels, doctors first recommend making lifestyle changes like smoking cessation, weight loss and increasing exercise. Once you begin taking a statin medication, it is a lifelong commitment, as most patients must continue the medication indefinitely to keep cholesterol low. Statin medications can cause side effects that make taking the pill every day for life more difficult. Common side effects include muscle and joint aches, constipation, diarrhea and nausea. Some patients experience more severe side effects like liver damage or severe muscle pain that can lead to rhabdomyolosis -- the breakdown of muscle tissue that leads to kidney damage.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Heart Disease
- American Heart Association: Cholesterol-Lowering Medications; April 2009
- "Cellular Molecular Life Science": Lipid-Lowering Drugs; Pahan; May 2006
- MayoClinic.com: Statins -- Are these Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Right For You?
- American Heart Association: Cholesterol
