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Statins

This WisdomCard managed by: Chris Miller

The statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) form a class of hypolipidemic drugs used to lower cholesterol levels in people with or at risk of cardiovascular disease. They lower cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme of the mevalonate pathway of cholesterol synthesis. Inhibition of this enzyme in the liver stimulates LDL receptors, resulting in an increased clearance of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from the bloodstream and a decrease in blood cholesterol levels....read more from Wikipedia

Fast Facts:

• --Statins lower LDL cholesterol (so-called "bad cholesterol") by 30–50%.
• --Serious side effects are uncommon. Although rare, liver toxicity can occur.
• --Studies have linked statins to decreased risks of diabetes and dementia.

5 Great Resources on Statins

• Mayo Clinic: Statins: Are these cholesterol-lowering drugs right for you?
• InteliHealth: What Are Statins?
• American Heart Association: Statins
• eMedicineHealth: Statins and Cholesterol
• About.com: The Statin Drugs

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5 Latest Headlines on Statins

Search for "Statins" Statins and Muscle Aches Gene May Help ID Statin Side Effect Risk Fish Oil, Red Yeast Rice Cut Cholesterol Statins may help kidney transplant patients: study Statin Study Could Lead to Test for Gene Variant

• More Statins News from Topix

What are Statins?

• MedicineNet: What are statins, and how do they work?
• Wikipedia: Statin
• HealthLink: Statins Revolutionize Heart Disease Care
• National Cancer Institute: Statins and Cancer Prevention

What Are The Uses for Statins?

• Wikipedia: Statin Indications and uses
• InteliHealth: Should I Use Statins?
• MedicineNet: For what conditions are statins used?
• New York Academy of Sciences: Miracle Drugs: new Potential Uses For Statins

What Are The Side Effects, Interactions and Precautions for Statins?

• eMedicineHealth: Statin Side Effects
• MedicineNet: With which drugs do statins interact?
• InteliHealth: What Are The Disadvantages Of Taking Statins?
• Mayo Clinic: Statin side effects: Can they lower libido?
• Prevention: Statin Side Effects

What are the Alternatives to Statins?

• Zetia
• TheHealthierLife: Statins: Safe and natural alternatives to cholesterol drugs
• ReadersDigest: Non-Statin Cholesterol-Lowering Medications

What are the Holistic Alternatives to Statins?

• GrannyMed: Home Remedies For Cholesterol
• WholeHealthMD: High Cholesterol Food Remedies
• Alive: Lowering Cholesterol with Highly Viscous Dietary Fibre
• WebMD: Cholesterol Control: The Alternatives

Clinical Trials for Statins

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Statin Clinical Trials
• CenterWatch: Statin Clinical Trials

Wisdom, Blogs, and Message Boards about Statins

• DangerousMedicine: Cholesterol drugs / statins Forum
• MedHelp: Zocor, Simvastatin, Other Statins
• DailyStrength: Statins for cholesterol treatment
• Paging Dr. Gupta: Another benefit of statins? Not so fast
• Dr. Johns Health File: An alarming experience with statins

Controversy and Lawsuits about Statins

• Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine: Over-the-counter statins: a new controversy
• Time: Are Statins Right for You?
• Wikipedia: Statin Controversy
• SpaceDoc: Statins and the LawLegal Issues and Statin Drugs
• BusinessWeek: Statins Could Cause Legal Headaches

Scientific and Medical Journal Articles on Statins

• JAMA: Statin Articles
• PubMedCentral: Statin Articles
• Google Scholar: Statin Articles

Related WisdomCards

• Cholesterol
• Cholesterol Controversy
• Lipitor
• Home Lipid Testing
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Side Effects of Statin Drugs
• High Cholesterol
• Cholesterol Lowering Foods

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