Cholesterol
How Can Statins Help You in Cholesterol Management?
How Can Statins Help You in Cholesterol Management?6
The main goal of cholesterol treatment is to lower LDL levels.
When diet and exercise are not enough to reduce cholesterol to goal levels, doctors often prescribe medication – the most common being statins. By blocking the production of cholesterol, statin medications can slow the formation of plaques in the arteries.
Bad cholesterol (LDL) sticks to the arteries and forms plaques.
Cholesterol plaques build up slowly, eventually resulting in blocked arteries and reducing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart. This can lead to heart disease.
Statins help block production of LDL in the liver.
The body needs cholesterol to function but sometimes, due to genetics, food intake and activity, the body produces too much cholesterol. Statins block an enzyme that’s key to cholesterol production in the liver. The treatment goal is to reduce cholesterol in the bloodstream and to reduce risk of high-cholesterol-related diseases.
Consult your Healthcare Provider or Pharmacist if you have any of these risk factors:
- High LDL (bad cholesterol)
- High triglyceride
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- Age 40-75 years
References:
- Department of Statistics Malaysia. 2020. Statistics on Causes of Death, Malaysia.https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=401&bul_id=QTU5T0dKQ1g4MHYxd3ZpMzhEMzdRdz09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09 (Accessed Feb 2021)
- National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019
- CardioSmart – American College of Cardiology 2018. High Cholesterol. https://www.cardiosmart.org/topics/high-cholesterol (Accessed Feb 2021)
- Institute for Clinical Research (National Institute of Health). Oct 2020. COVID-19 Mortality Statistics. https://twitter.com/ICR_NIH/status/1315540501378994176/photo/1 (Accessed Feb 2021)
- Mayo Clinic. 2020. Top 5 Lifestyle Changes To Improve Your Cholesterol. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/reduce-cholesterol/art-20045935 (Accessed Feb 2021)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2015. Cholesterol And Statins Infographic.https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/cholesterol-and-statins-infographic (Accessed Feb 2021)
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