Having high cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Since there are often no symptoms with high cholesterol, it is important to know what your levels are by getting tested. If your levels are high, you and your doctor will need to formulate a plan to bring your cholesterol levels down. Healthy eating and exercise are usually the first methods of treatment. However, sometimes they are not enough. In this case, your doctor may prescribe a statin drug that will help by preventing the formation of cholesterol. While there can be side effects to consider, there are benefits as well.
Lowers Bad Cholesterol
Too much cholesterol in your bloodstream can lead to serious health problems. You get cholesterol from the food you eat and your body makes it naturally. Your liver contains the enzyme HMG-CoA that helps your body produce cholesterol. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that statins work by inhibiting the liver's production of HMG-CoA. The goal of taking a statin is to bring your cholesterol reading below the level that is known to cause heart disease.
Reabsorbs Circulating Cholesterol
According to the Mayo Clinic, this medication can also reduce the build up of plaque on your artery walls. The FDA says that statins seem to slow the actual formation of plaque. Plaque is the waxy substance that can build on artery walls, making them harder and narrower. According to the Centers for Disease Control, statins may also increase your liver's ability to remove excess LDL cholesterol that is circulating in the blood.
Additional Benefits
According to the Harvard Medical School, taking a statin may help to prevent conditions linked to blocked arteries. This includes angina pain (chest pain) heart attack and sudden cardiac death. Statins have also been found to raise your HDL or good cholesterol levels modestly. Higher HDL levels are associated with having a protective action against heart disease.
