What are statins?
Statins (HMG CoA reductase inhibitors) are prescription medicines that people take to bring their cholesterol down to normal levels. Some statins can decrease your LDL (bad) cholesterol by 50% or more. Different brands of statins are on the market, as well as generic statins, which cost less.
Statins are tablets or capsules that you swallow whole once a day. The label on your medicine bottle will tell you if you need to take your statin at a certain time of day and if you need to take it with food.
Types of statin drugs
Sometimes, statins are put together with another medicine in one pill, such as:
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
What do statins do?
Statins decrease your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol and may increase your HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or good cholesterol. LDL is bad because it builds up inside your arteries. HDL is good because it brings cholesterol to your liver, which gets it out of your body.
How do statins work?
Statins get in the way when your liver is trying to make cholesterol. Like a good basketball player who doesn’t let an opponent get the ball, statins don’t let your liver have an enzyme it needs to create cholesterol. Your body makes 75% of your cholesterol, so helping it make less can make a big difference. The rest of your body’s cholesterol is from what you’re eating.
Statins also help your liver get rid of more cholesterol.
Why do I have high cholesterol if I eat healthy foods?
You can get genes from your parents that tell your body to make more cholesterol than you need or not to absorb the cholesterol it needs.
Who needs to take statins?
Your healthcare provider will look at your individual situation when deciding if you should take a statin. Having diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol and using tobacco products are all risk factors for getting heart disease. Your provider will also consider your age, sex and race when deciding if you need a statin.
Providers prescribe statins for people who:
- Have high cholesterol (LDL above 190 mg/dL) that exercise and diet changes couldn’t reduce.
- Had a stroke, heart attack or peripheral artery disease.
- Have diabetes and an LDL of at least 70 mg/dL and are 40 to 75 years old.
- Have an LDL of at least 70 mg/dL and a high risk of getting heart disease and are 40 to 75 years old.
Why are statins used?
Statins bring down your cholesterol level to make you less likely to have a heart attack or stroke. Your body uses cholesterol when it makes vitamin D, hormones and the acid you use to digest food. But if you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can collect inside your arteries. This creates obstacles that make it harder for your blood to get through your blood vessels.
If cholesterol keeps building up in your arteries, it can do more than just make them narrow. The plaque (obstacles) in your blood vessels can become unstable and break open, leading to a heart attack.
How common are statins?
Statins are the most common drug class of prescriptions in America. More than 40 million adults take them.
FAQs
Statins block an enzyme the liver needs to make cholesterol. This causes the liver to remove cholesterol from the blood. 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. Rarely, they may cause liver damage.
Which is the best statin with least side effects? ›
According to a research review people who take simvastatin (Zocor) or pravastatin (Pravachol) may experience fewer side effects.
What are the top 3 statins? ›
Are there any interactions?
- atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- simvastatin (Zocor)
- lovastatin (Mevacor)
For people who can't take statin drugs, a cholesterol-lowering drug called bempedoic acid (Nexletol) can also lower the risk of heart attacks and related problems, a new study shows.
What should you avoid when taking statins? ›
Grapefruit juice can affect some statins and increase your risk of side effects. A doctor may advise you to avoid it completely or only consume small quantities. The doctor will also ask you how much alcohol you drink before prescribing statins.
What are the worst statins for side effects? ›
It's possible, although unlikely, that one particular statin may cause side effects for you while another statin won't. It's thought that simvastatin (Zocor) may be more likely to cause muscle pain as a side effect than other statins when it's taken at high doses. Change your dose.
Which is safer Lipitor or Crestor? ›
Both Crestor and Lipitor are generally well tolerated with a similar rate of side effects. In the end, you should consult your healthcare provider to determine which one is right for you. Take into account cost, side effects, other medications you are taking, and any pre-existing conditions.
Why are some doctors against statins? ›
What are the arguments against statins? One concern is statin side effects. Some people report muscle pain and weakness, which has been shown to affect about 10% to 15% of people who take statins.
What is the safest statin to be on? ›
Lipitor (atorvastatin) is typically the first-line drug to treat high cholesterol because it has fewer side effects than other statins.
What is the least problematic statin? ›
Although all medications can have side effects, some research indicates that certain statins might have fewer effects. Pravastatin and fluvastatin are associated with fewer muscle-related discomfort, while simvastatin may cause fewer gastrointestinal issues.
Turmeric milk, also known as golden milk, has gained popularity for its numerous health benefits. This golden-hued beverage is made by combining turmeric with milk, creating a delicious and soothing drink.
What do cardiologists think of statins? ›
So it made sense just to use them for people with high cholesterol,” explains Johns Hopkins cardiologist Michael Blaha, M.D. “But we've learned that they also benefit people with lower levels of cholesterol who are at a high risk of heart disease. So we now think of statins as risk-reducing drugs.”
Why don't people like taking statins? ›
Statins are effective, accessible, and affordable. However, well-known side effects like muscle pain keep some people from taking them.
At what age are statins no longer recommended? ›
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 ...
Can you take vitamin D with statins? ›
Vitamin D supplement may have moderate or no effect on the dosage requirement or side effects of pravastatin, rosuvastatin and pitavastatin. Since vitamin D has mild HMG-CoA reductase activity, it will work synergistically with all statins.
Why should older people not take statins? ›
Statin therapy may be associated with a variety of musculoskeletal disorders, including myopathy, myalgias, muscle weakness, back conditions, injuries, and arthropathies. These disorders may be particularly problematic in older people and may contribute to physical deconditioning and frailty.
What are the safest statins for the elderly? ›
Pravastatin and rosuvastatin are the preferred statins in these patients because they are not metabolized only by the liver [31].
Which has less side effects atorvastatin or rosuvastatin? ›
Because atorvastatin and rosuvastatin are in the same drug class, they share similar adverse effects. And although statins are considered safe and effective for many individuals, they do cause a number of negative side effects: Muscle weakness (myopathy) Muscle pain and/or soreness (myalgias)
Which is safer atorvastatin or rosuvastatin? ›
Two major statins—rosuvastatin and atorvastatin—are equally effective at reducing heart attacks, strokes, and all-cause deaths, a new study has found. The findings indicate that rosuvastatin lowers cholesterol a bit more than atorvastatin but also carries a higher risk of developing diabetes and cataracts.
What is the best statin that doesn't cause muscle pain? ›
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.
