Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Should I be taking statins?


Statins have been around for 2 decades and newer agents continue to be developed. These drugs act by lowering blood cholesterol and decrease the risk of forming plaques in your blood vessels. Eventually, this prevents angina and heart attacks. The available statins include lipitor, mevacor, zocor, crestor and pravachol. They all act in a similar fashion. There are also generic statins available which are more affordable. 

Statins are generally recommended if you have risk factors for heart disease. However, if you only have high cholesterol, the first step is to change your diet and exercise. In most people, lifestyle changes can help lower cholesterol and avoid the need for statins.

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