Side Effects of Cholesterol Lowering Drugs
A new study in the United Kingdom seems to indicate that there can be several serious side effects to cholesterol lowering drugs that are used by millions of people worldwide.
Medications doctors prescribe to bring down cholesterol in your bloodstream are called statins. Doctors prescribe them for individuals who have hypercholesterolemia, or cholesterol levels that are greater than normal. While the body produces cholesterol naturally, unhealthy levels are usually due to lack of exercise and eating rich foods that contain a lot of fat.
There are several types of cholesterol. One type, known as LDL or low density lipoproteins, tends to attach itself to artery walls. This can cause a disorder called artherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is one of the most common causes of heart attacks and strokes.
High cholesterol also contributes to high blood pressure because your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your constricted blood vessels.
Statins inhibit an enzyme produced by your liver that creates cholesterol. But there’s a downside, according to the U.K. study. Extended use may eventually have a negative effect, and even, in some cases, result in liver failure.
The Nottingham project also suggested that statins can contribute to a disorder called myositis, or muscle inflammation. In addition to causing muscular pain, myositis also makes muscles weaker. As the condition progresses, it may eventually lead to a more serious condition known as rhabdomyolysis. With rhabdomyolysis, your muscle begins to degrade, producing a byproduct called myoglobin. Myoglobin passes through the kidneys and can trigger dangerous kidney problems.
According to the Nottingham study, extended statin use can also endanger eye health, causing cataracts to develop.
The study emphasized the importance of getting regular liver function tests done if you’re taking statins to lower your LDL cholesterol. Your blood should also be tested for any liklihood of kidney problems in the future.
But there’s also positive news from the study. Although it was found that side effects can happen, it was also determined that the overall risk was slight. When the possible side effects of cholesterol-reducing drugs are balanced against the risk of cardiovascular disease from high cholesterol and hypertension, taking statins makes sense when they’re prescribed by your doctor.
In recent years, doctors have been prescribing statins more often because the number of patients with obesity, which is a major risk factor for high cholesterol and heart disease, has been increasing at alarming rates.
Recently, computer programs have been developed to help doctors identify patients with the greatest liklihood of experiencing side effects someday. At-risk patients should be monitored closely if it’s apparent that they need cholesterol lowering medications, but are also more likely to be subject to side effects.
