A friend left a message for Huazi, asking Huazi about the pros and cons of taking atorvastatin for a long time. Huazi said that statins are the main "weapons" for human prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and atorvastatin is the most powerful statin that is currently used. Chinese tolerate atorvastatin more than rosuvastatin and are often the first choice for initial treatment with statins.
In the current study, the longer you take statins, the greater the benefits.
First, determine whether you need to take statins
Let's first understand the specific role of statins and not abuse them. Statins can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol, and lowering the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the most important physiological effect of statins. Because LDL-C is the raw material for atherosclerotic plaques, it will have the effect of "pumping from the bottom of the pot" after lowering, preventing the progress of plaques.
The danger of atherosclerosis lies in the instability of the plaque itself, which may lead to the accumulation of platelets and the production of blood clots, which is the main cause of cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction.
Statins can increase the stability of the plaque, so that the plaque becomes not easy to break, so that the occurrence of cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction can be prevented. When used for a long time, it can also reduce the volume of plaque and produce the effect of reversing plaque.
So he statins are mainly used to treat hyperlipidemia, which is mainly based on elevated cholesterol, and the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in people with atherosclerosis. If there is no increase in blood lipids and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, it is not recommended to use statins, and everyone should not "follow the trend" to take the drug.
Second, the things that need to be paid attention to in the process of medication
Atorvastatin is a potent statin, but also a long-acting statin, the efficacy of which is not affected by diet and time of use. And atorvastatin is better tolerated than another potent statin, rosuvastatin, so it is often used for initial statin therapy.
Atorvastatin is a fat-soluble statin, which is more likely to enter the liver cells, so in the process of medication, it is necessary to pay attention to the impact on liver function, need to review liver function regularly, and if the transaminases (AST, ALT) exceed 3 times the normal value, the drug needs to be discontinued. After discontinuation of the drug, liver function can return to normal.
Statins may cause muscle damage, and when taking atorvastatin, you also need to pay attention to whether there are symptoms of muscle pain and fatigue. If creatine kinase exceeds the upper limit of 5 times normal, the drug needs to be discontinued to avoid rhabdomyolysis. But the probability of occurrence is extremely low and rare.
Statins have an effect on blood glucose metabolism, may cause blood sugar to rise, and there is a small probability of new diabetes, so it is necessary to pay attention to blood sugar during treatment. However, elevated blood glucose is not an indication for discontinuation, and people with diabetes need to adjust hypoglycemic drugs to control blood sugar.
Third, the longer the drug is used, the greater the benefit
Most people use atorvastatin to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, if you want to effectively prevent diseases, you need to meet two conditions, one is to achieve LDL-C control standards, and the other is to take medication for a long enough time.
1, LDL-C standard: for people with chronic diseases, LDL-C must reach 2.6mmol/ L or less to effectively prevent diseases. For people who have already had cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, or coronary heart disease, LDL-C should reach less than 1.8mmol/L to effectively prevent recurrence of the disease.
2. Medication time: In related clinical trials, plaque reversal was observed at the shortest time when the drug was continuously administered for 6 hours. But most people usually need to take 2 to 4 years of medication before the plaque is reversed. Existing studies have shown that the longer the drug is used, the greater the benefit to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular production.
To sum up, atorvastatin is a commonly used potent statin, mainly used for the prevention of cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Adverse reactions may occur during the course of medication, mainly within the first 6 months of medication, but can be recovered after discontinuation. As long as there are no contraindications to medication, the longer the medication is taken, the greater the benefit. Medications need to be taken under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any doubts about medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist, I am a pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.