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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Can Statin Really Prevent Heart Disease? Statin is a class of drugs that can reduce bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL in short) levels. Zocor, Lipex, Lipitor, Lescol and Crestor are just a few brands that belong to this class of drugs. In general, full effect can be seen in some patients who take statins for a period between 4 and 6 weeks. Besides reducing cholesterol, statin is also widely prescribed by cardiologists to prevent heart disease. A recent study by researchers at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands indicated that people who needed to have their artery unclogged or repaired were less likely to die or have a heart attack afterward if they took preventive dose of statins before and after their operations. The findings, appeared on September 3, 2009 in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that patients who were given Lescol had half the risk of getting a heart attack or dying of a heart disease in the following months compared to those who were given dummy pills. Blood vessel surgery, including operations like repairing a bulging abdominal artery or unclogging arteries in the neck, could cause heart problems that are a common complication. The stress of surgery on arteries is believed to destabilize plaque buildup, causing it to rupture and blood clots to form, particularly heart arteries. Health experts generally thought that statins might help by reducing inflammation and stabilizing the plaque. In the study, the researchers enrolled nearly 500 patients who were not on statins and were going to have operations on their aorta or leg or neck arteries. These patients were equally divided into 2 groups: patients in one group was asked to take statin, while those in the other group took dummy pill, for a month before and a month after their surgery
Within a month of the operation, there were 12 patients (about 5 percent) in the statin group had died or had heart attack, comparing to 25 patients (10 percent) in the other group. Meanwhile, other signs of heart damage were also less common among those in the statin group. The finding also reported that there was no difference in side effects between the 2 groups for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD is a condition where stiff and narrow arteries were found, usually in the leg. When the study commenced in 2004, statins were not used as popular as they are used today for people with PAD. Such scenario could be explained by the fact that patients in the study probably did not take statins before their surgery because their cholesterol levels were normal or near normal. The current guidelines recommend that statin should be taken for everyone with PAD, regardless of whether there is a need for surgery. It should be noted that the study was partially funded by Swiss drug maker Novartis, which manufactures and supplies Lescol, also known as fluvastatin. Meanwhile, the researchers conducting the study received grants and consulting fees from either Novartis or other medical companies. Other statins available in the market would achieve a similar effect as well, according to other health experts, who also agree that statins are not employed enough for people with PAD. They hope that the new finding would highlight their benefits at time of surgery and throughout the lifetime of the patient. Statins could also be found in natural foods like oyster mushrooms and red yeast rice. Randomized controlled trials did find these natural foods effective. However, the quality of the trails was low. In any case, statins do have side effects though rarely occur. These include muscle pain, liver damage, digestive problems, and rash or flushing. Nevertheless, there are several options patients could take to relieve the possible side effects of statins. For example, take a brief break from statin therapy, lower the dose, take it easy when exercising, or simply consider other cholesterol-lowering medications. Some health experts think Coenzyme Q10 supplements may also help to prevent statin side effects. No matter which option to opt for, patients should talk to and discuss with their doctors before making any changes.
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