Statins (Lipitor) Reduce Stroke And Heart Attack

Lowering Risk Of Death, Effective Drugs To Maintain Heart Health

Oct 27, 2009 Scott Rupp

Statins are the most widely used prescription drug for people who have high cholesterol or are at risk of heart attack or stroke, and they are effective.

Statins help people reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke associated with high cholesterol. They are effective and for the most part, safe. There are several on the market, but some of the best are not brand-name drugs.

Currently, there are six statins on the market, three of which are now available as less expensive generics – lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin.

According to a recent report by Consumer Reports, “Treating Elevated Cholesterol and Heart Disease,” you can help control these risks by choosing a statin medicine that your doctor sees as a best fit for you.

Do You Need To Take Prescription Statins?

Your doctor is the best source for deciding whether or not you need to take medication to control your cholesterol. However, if your cholesterol is only slightly elevated and you are not at risk for heart disease, heart attack, or stroke, diet and lifestyle changes may be enough to lower your bad low density lipoprotein (or LDL) cholesterol to a healthy level.

You should speak with your doctor about diet and lifestyle changes if you fall into this category, as medication may not be the best course of action.

But if your LDL is above a certain level, which your doctor can discuss with you, you are already at risk for heart disease and stroke (if you smoke, have diabetes, or have coronary artery disease) your doctor is likely to prescribe a statin drug.

Statins Are An Effective Control of Heart Disease, Stroke and High Cholesterol

According to Consumer Reports, statins are highly effective and generally safe; in most cases, substantially lowering your changes of a heart attack and death.

The six statin medicines mentioned above differ in their ability to reduce cholesterol, and there is stronger evidence for some statins when it comes to reducing your risk of heart attack or death from heart disease or stroke.

The statins also range in cost from about $32 a month to more than $150 a month.

But the thing to keep in mind about statins is that they are medications your must take for years, so it may be a good idea to figure in the costs of the prescriptions over the long run. If you are able to take a lower cost generic statin, it may be worth considering from the cost vantage point.

In its report, Consumer Reports suggests a few statins as best buys based on cost and effectiveness. They are:

• Generic lovastatin or pravastatin if you need to lower bad cholesterol by less than 30 percent.
• Generic simvastatin if you need 30 percent or greater LDL reduction and/or have heart disease or diabetes.
• Atorvastatin (Lipitor) if you have had a heart attack or have acute coronary syndrome and your LDL is highly elevated; use for two years and then reconfirm need or switch to generic simvastatin.

Generic pravastatin and simvastatin have only recently become available and create a savings opportunity compared to brand-name statins. Consumer Reports recommends you speak with your doctor about these two medicines as alternatives to the more expensive brands.

Low-dose Statins vs. High-dose Prescriptions

According to the report, “Most people who need a statin should take the lowest dose that reduces their bad LDL cholesterol to an acceptable target level.”

High doses of statins create a greater risk of muscle and liver problems. But some people who have had heart attacks may need higher doses.

No matter what dose you take, if you have muscle aches and pains when taking a statin, contact your doctor immediately. Also ask your doctor about splitting your statin pills. This can save you money and is a widely accepted practice.

In addition to having an elevated LDL and/or low HDL, the most important risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke are cigarette smoking and having diabetes or high blood pressure.

Other risk factors include being overweight, getting little or no exercise and having a family history of heart disease.

Using Generic Statins

A generic drug is a copy of a brand drug whose patent has expired. Lovastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin are generic versions of Mevacor, Pravachol and Zocor. Generic drugs are less expensive.

If you are prescribed a brand name drug that is available as a generic, ask your doctor or pharmacist if switching would be appropriate.

Reference:

“Treating Elevated Heart Disease and Cholesterol,” Consumer Reports, February 2007.

The copyright of the article Statins (Lipitor) Reduce Stroke And Heart Attack in General Medicine is owned by Scott Rupp. Permission to republish Statins (Lipitor) Reduce Stroke And Heart Attack in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Lipitor and Statins Control Cholesterol

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