A friend told Huazi that her blood lipids were not high, and her low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was only about 1.7 mmol/L, but the doctor asked her to take statins. She did not understand, statins are not hypolipidemic, her blood lipids are not high, do you still need to eat?
Hua zi asked her friend, is there atherosclerosis? She said the coronary arteries had atherosclerosis, but it was only mildly narrowed, not yet to the point of coronary heart disease. Hanako tells her that she should take her medicine. Because of the pharmacological effects of histins, he can not only lower cholesterol, but also reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
First, the risk of atherosclerosis
What most people understand is that atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries, which causes arterial narrowing and affects the blood supply to the organs. But from the beginning of atherosclerosis to the cause of severe narrowing of blood vessels, it takes a very long process. In general, it takes decades to progress to the point where it affects the blood supply to organs.
However, atherosclerotic plaques, under the conditions of high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, smoking, obesity and other factors, will accelerate the progression, resulting in increased instability of plaque. When the blood vessels are spasmed and contracted, they are prone to rupture, inducing platelets to gather to form blood clots, resulting in myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction and other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
The rupture of plaque is the greatest danger of atherosclerosis. The risk of plaque rupture is not directly proportional to the degree of arterial stenosis.
Second, statins can not only lower blood lipids
The formation of atherosclerotic plaques is associated with damage to the endometrium of the arteries, where LDL-C in the blood enters the lining of the arteries from the site of the injury, forming the lipid core of the plaque. Lowering the level of LDL-C can inhibit or delay the formation of plaque. Statins are currently the most important LDL-C drugs.
But statins in addition to reducing LDL-C, but also can improve the metabolism of the arterial lining, against LDL-C caused by oxidation, inflammation, can make the plaque lipid core density increase, volume reduction, the unstable plaque into a stable plaque, so that the plaque is not easy to break. With long-term use of statins, the effect of reversing plaque can be exerted.
Third, the blood lipids are not high, and you also need to eat statins
LDL-C is the "raw material" that causes atherosclerosis, but many people do not have high blood lipids when they appear atherosclerosis, because high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and even aging are the causes of atherosclerosis. But whatever the cause, the risk of atherosclerotic plaques is the same.
The only way to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis is, for now, statins, and there is no other alternative. People with definitive atherosclerosis, or people with "soft plaques" in the carotid arteries, are recommended for prophylaxis even if the blood lipids are normal.
There are many people who worry about whether falling too low cholesterol will affect their health? In relevant clinical trials, when the subject's LDL-C fell below 0.7 mmol/L, no significant adverse reactions were observed, so for now, lower LDL-C levels are safe. With normal treatment, the minimum LDL-C can be reduced to less than 1.4 mmol/L.
Statins usually need to be taken continuously for 2 to 4 years before a reversal of plaque is observed. Based on the current research results, the longer statins are taken, the better the protective effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, as long as there are no serious adverse reactions, it is not recommended to stop the drug.
To sum up, statins not only lower cholesterol, but also have the effect of stabilizing and reversing plaque. Some people with low blood lipids, but people who develop atherosclerosis also need to take statins. The use of drugs can not only look at individual indicators, but also look at the effect and benefit of the overall disease. The use of the drug should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any questions about medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist. I am a pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.