Statins are a common lipid-lowering drug, which can reduce the synthesis of cholesterol in liver cells, improve LDL receptors on the surface of liver cells, and accelerate the clearance of plasma LDL, so it is often used as a treatment drug for cardiovascular diseases such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and arteriosclerotic heart disease.
In addition, statins have also been shown to have anti-coronary restenosis and prevent coronary atheroma rupture and bleeding, and the efficacy is significant.
There are many types of statins, their lipid-lowering strength is different, and the suitable population is also different, such as lovastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, etc.
Although the efficacy of the drug is good, there are also many side effects, and in severe cases, it can even injure many important organs of the human body. So what are the possible side effects of taking too many statins?
1. Affect muscles
After taking statins, there may be certain side effects on the muscles, such as rhabdomyolysis, myositis, myalgia, etc. Both rhabdomyolysis and myositis cause muscle pain, increased creatine kinase, and often excessive creatinine.
Therefore, if muscle pain occurs during use, it is important to check the creatine kinase, and once the creatine kinase exceeds the standard by three to five times, it should be considered to stop or change the dress. If rhabdomyolysis occurs, it is necessary not only to stop the drug immediately, but also to be hospitalized for hydration therapy.
2. Liver involvement
Before taking statin drugs, the patient's liver function should be checked to know the baseline level of liver function.
This is because transaminases may be elevated after taking the drug, and if the patient also has jaundice, liver enlargement, and albumin, prothrombin time, bilirubin, and the patient's clinical response are also significantly abnormal, it is likely to have a certain relationship with the drug.
Therefore, doctors usually recommend liver enzyme monitoring for four to eight weeks before taking statins, and if there are no adverse effects, then six to 12 months later. It should be noted that if the aminotransferase level is already three times higher than the average person, it is necessary to consider whether to stop the drug.
3. Injury to the kidneys
Although statins have no conclusive evidence that they cause damage to the kidneys, it is true that for people with chronic kidney disease, some adverse effects may occur after taking statins.
This is especially true in patients with mild and moderate kidney failure after taking the drug, so statins are not recommended for patients with advanced kidney failure to avoid aggravating the condition.
4. Induce diabetes
Some patients will have an increase in blood sugar after taking statins, which is easy to induce diabetes.
Statins affect insulin sensitivity and cellular blood uptake, and reduce insulin release of intracellular glucose and cholesterol in the body, thereby reducing insulin secretion, which may induce diabetes in severe cases.
As a drug for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, statins are very effective and helpful in maintaining the health of patients, but the side effects caused by them should not be underestimated, such as the above four.
Therefore, when taking this drug, you must follow the guidance and advice of your doctor, and do not change the dosage or stop the drug on your own, so as not to affect the treatment of the condition, and in severe cases, it can even cause more serious damage to the body.