Discussion: Hypercholesterolemia and Statins BSC 2347
Discussion: Hypercholesterolemia and Statins BSC 2347
Week 3 discussion
Hypercholesterolemia
and Statins
High cholesterol levels in the blood (hypercholesterolemia)
is associated with various cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. What
is the danger and complications of atherosclerosis? What other cardiovascular
diseases can hypercholesterolemia lead to the development of? How does
hypercholesterolemia develop?
A common treatment for hypercholesterolemia is a class of
drugs called statins. Are statins the best course of treatment for
hypercholesterolemia in adults?
Discussion: Hypercholesterolemia and Statins BSC 2347Why or why not? Should they be prescribed to
adults with hypercholesterolemia with no evidence of heart disease? Should
teenagers be prescribed statins if they are diagnosed with
hypercholesterolemia? Why or why not? Is there a better solution for these
situations?
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Medication Summary
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are the medications of choice for the treatment of LDLc elevations in patients with heterozygous FH because they have the greatest efficacy and are easily tolerated and because multiple randomized, placebo-controlled trials have shown that lowering LDLc levels with statins reduces coronary morbidity and mortality and, in some cases, total mortality. The strongest statins, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin, at their maximum approved doses, can be expected to reduce LDLc levels 50-60%. [11, 53, 54, 55, 56]
Discussion: Hypercholesterolemia and Statins BSC 2347The ATPIII update advises that the starting dose of a statin be sufficient to lower the LDLc 30-40% (see Table 3)
Statins are drugs that can lower your cholesterol. They work by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol.
Lowering cholesterol isn’t the only benefit associated with statins. These medications have also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. These drugs may help stabilize the plaques on blood vessel walls and reduce the risk of certain blood clots.
Discussion: Hypercholesterolemia and Statins BSC 2347A number of statins are available for use in the United States. They include:
Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
Lovastatin (Altoprev)
Pitavastatin (Livalo, Zypitamag)
Pravastatin (Pravachol)
Rosuvastatin (Crestor, Ezallor)
Simvastatin (Zocor)
Sometimes, a statin is combined with another heart medication. Examples are atorvastatin-amlodipine (Caduet) and ezetimibe-simvastatin (Vytorin).