Possible side effects of statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs

Statins are known as cholesterol-lowering drugs. People with high cholesterol complaints may rely on statins to control their cholesterol levels. However, becoming dependent on statins is certainly not good. This can cause you to experience side effects of statins. Anything?

What are statins?

Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs. This drug works by blocking the enzymes used by the body to produce cholesterol in the liver. You need to know that about 75% of the body's cholesterol is produced by the liver.

You can get many types of statin drugs, such as atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin. Generally, they work in the same way and offer the same level of effectiveness in lowering cholesterol. However, some types of statin drugs may work better than other types of statin drugs.

What are the benefits of statins?

Generally, statins work well in helping to lower the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) in the blood. This can certainly reduce your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

Not only that, statins can also help you stabilize the lining of blood vessels and help relax blood vessels, so that a drop in blood pressure can occur. Research has also shown that statins can help reduce the risk of narrowing of blood vessels and help fight inflammation of the blood vessels.

What are the side effects of statins?

Although statins provide benefits for your health, statins can also cause side effects. Side effects from statins may not be experienced by everyone who takes statins, but your risk of side effects from statins may increase if you take large amounts of statins, have kidney or liver disease, or have a small stature. Women and the elderly (over 65 years) also have a higher risk of experiencing side effects of statins.

Some of the side effects of statins that you can experience are:

Muscle breakdown and pain

Muscle pain may be common for those of you who use statins. This muscle pain can range from mild to severe and can interfere with your activities. One study showed that people taking statins developed muscle pain at the same rate as people taking a placebo. Your muscle aches may be lighter if you switch to a different statin. You may need to find a statin drug that works for you.

Statins can also cause muscle breakdown called rhabdomyolysis, if they are used in combination with certain medications or if you are taking statins in high doses. However, rhabdomyolysis due to statins is very rare. If it occurs, rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure, and even death.

Liver damage

The use of statins can lead to increased levels of enzymes that indicate liver inflammation. If the increase is still in a mild level, you can continue to use the statin. However, if it causes a severe increase, you may want to try a different type of statin. But, usually this rarely happens.

Impact on the brain

Some people report that they experience memory loss or confusion after taking statins. And, this effect diminished after they stopped taking it. However, research to prove this is still limited. It's best to talk to your doctor if you experience confusion or memory loss after taking statins.

Increases the risk of type 2 diabetes

Your blood sugar level may increase when you use statins, which can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, another theory is that statins can prevent heart attacks in people with diabetes. This means that the use of statins in diabetics is safe. Yes, the relationship between statins and type 2 diabetes is unclear. The benefits of statins may still outweigh their effect on rising blood sugar.