Should You take a cholesterol lowering Statin drug, even if you don’t have high cholesterol?

Michael Rea, PharmD — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:02 +0000

Recently, the use of “statin” drugs, the class of medications used primarily to reduce cholesterol levels, have been gaining positive attention for some other desirable health outcomes. We have heard benefits on everything from increased lung function in asthma patients to lowering your chance for heart attack. This weeks article from Consumer Reports poses a good question, should you take a statin even if you don’t have high cholesterol? Read more below.

Earlier this year the Food and Drug Administration approved rosuvastatin (Crestor), a drug usually used to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, for use even in some people who have normal LDL levels. Why? Because it turns out that the drug (and probably other statins), also appear to lower levels of C-reactive protein, which can help indicate inflamed coronary arteries. And inflammation can contribute to heart disease by damaging the arteries and encouraging the growth of clot-forming plaque deposits.

So is it time to get your CRP measured and possibly take a statin if that level is high, even if your LDL isn’t? Probably not. Here’s why.

To read the full article from Consumer Reports, visit http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2010/06/statins-for-high-cholesterol-should-people-without-high-cholesterol-take-a-statin-best-buy-drugs.html

Cholesterol Statin Drugs Shown to improve Lung Function in asthma patients

Michael Rea, PharmD — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:30:32 +0000

Millions of Americans take daily medication to treat their high cholesterol, and most of those are from a medication class called “statins.” These statin drugs have been shown to reduce cholesterol scores significantly, and keep many people with high cholesterol and heart disease alive. They could also have an additional positive side effect for those patients who also have asthma according to a recent study. The study (which was very small, with just 70 participants) suggests that the statin drugs are responsible for an increase in lung function in those patients with asthma symptoms.

Statins possess anti-inflammatory properties, and have been shown to reduce inflammation in the lungs. Coupled by the fact that a third of all people with asthma also have high cholesterol, it “is extremely attractive and worthy of further study” according to William Busse, MD, chair of the department of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Keep your eye out for additional, larger studies to be done over the coming years with more conclusive results. Until then, ask your doctor if you think statin therapy may be right for you.

Rx Savings Solutions: Your Prescription to Save!

Welcome to RxSavings Solutions » statin benefits

Should You take a cholesterol lowering Statin drug, even if you don’t have high cholesterol?

Cholesterol Statin Drugs Shown to improve Lung Function in asthma patients