Statins
Statins may be recommended if you have cardiovascular disease (CVD) or have a high risk of developing it in the next 10 years.
(CVD) is a general term that describes a disease of the heart or blood vessels, often caused by high cholesterol . It's the most common cause of death in the UK.
The main types of CVD are:
Statins can't cure these conditions, but they canhelp prevent them from getting worse or recurring in people who have been diagnosed with them.
They can alsoreduce the chance of these conditions developing in the first place in people at risk (see below).
Statins are usually used in combination with lifestyle measures such as:
If you don't have any form of CVD, statins may still be recommended if you're thought to be at a high risk of developing the condition in the future.
The current recommendation is that you should be offered statins if:
Your GP may recommend carrying out a formal assessment of your CVD risk if they think you may be at an increased risk of CVD, based on your personal and family medical history.
For this formal assessment,your GPor practice nurse will use special CVD risk assessment computer software that takes into account factors such as:
This is an inherited condition caused by a genetic fault that leadstohigh cholesterol levels, even in people who have a generally healthy lifestyle.
Statins are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. LDL cholesterol is often referred to as "bad cholesterol", and statins reduce the production of it inside the liver.
Statins may be recommended if you have cardiovascular disease (CVD) or have a high risk of developing it in the next 10 years.
Statins should not be taken if you have severe liver disease or blood tests suggest that your liver may not be working properly.
Like all medications, statins can cause side effects. However, most people tolerate them well and don't experience any problems.