Statins

Drug Information
The statins, among all, is the most preferred category of cholesterol-lowering drug and also the most prescribed one. It works by blocking an enzyme called hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), especially in the liver which is involved in the production of LDL cholesterol. Therefore, in medical terminology, statins are also referred to as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

Moreover, statins also depletes cholesterol in your liver cells, which causes your liver to remove cholesterol from your blood and also help your body reabsorb cholesterol from accumulated deposits on your artery walls, potentially reversing coronary artery disease. Statins are used for prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis ( caused mainly due to high cholesterol) that causes chest pain, heart attacks, strokes, etc. in individuals who are affected or are at risk for atherosclerosis.

The most common statins used in the treatment of cholesterol are

• Lovastatin (Mevacor®)
• Simvastatin (Zocor®)
• Pravastatin (Pravachol®)
• Fluvastatin (Lescol®)
• Cerivastatin (Baycol®)
• Atorvastatin (Lipitor®)

Side Effects of Statins

• The statins can cause side-effects like headaches, insomnia, liver problems and digestive tract problems like abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, and sickness.
• There have also been reportedly rare cases where statins have been found to cause hepatitis, skin rash, and cause serious muscle problems - Rhabdomyolysis, with symptoms of muscular ache, tenderness and weakness.
• Rhabdomyolysis, which often begins as muscle pain can progress to loss of muscle cells, kidney failure, and in some cases may be fatal.
• Irrational joint or muscle pain that occurs while taking statins should be brought to the attention of a healthcare provider for evaluation.

Drug Interaction

• The initial drug interaction involves the elimination of statins by the liver.
• The statins may interact with other drugs, leading to a build-up in the body of the statin or the other drug being used resulting in acute side-effects.
• Drugs with high possibilities of interaction with statins include antacids (Maalox), cyclosporine (Neoral), erythromycin, niacin (Niaspan), and warfarin (Coumadin).
• Another important drug interaction occurs between statins and niacin or fibric acids, e.g., gemfibrozil (Lopid), clofibrate (Atromid-S), and fenofibrate (Tricor).
• Inform your doctor of all the medications you are taking, including over-the-counter and herbal medicines.