After taking statins, my blood lipids return to normal. When can I stop taking the medicine?

Many friends left messages to Huazi, asking the same question. They suffered from high blood lipids, and after using statins, their blood lipids returned to normal. So how long should they continue to take statins and when can they stop?

Huazi told them that hyperlipidemia is a metabolic disorder syndrome, most of which are primary. If the specific cause cannot be found, there is no cure. If the medication is stopped, blood lipids will rise again. Moreover, for people at risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, statins can not only lower blood lipids, but also prevent diseases. Long-term medication is required to exert its efficacy.

1. What will high blood lipids bring?

There are many components in human blood lipids, among which low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a key indicator of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases . Its level is closely related to the incidence of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction and other diseases. Controlling LDL-C levels is an important method to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Blood lipids also include triglycerides (TG), which will also increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases if they are elevated, but relatively speaking, the risk is not as high as LDL-C. Blood lipids also include lipoprotein (a) - LP (a), which has similar risks to LDL-C, but there is currently no good intervention method for LP (a). Therefore , the current treatment for hyperlipidemia is mainly to control the LDL-C level .

Why does cholesterol rise?

Many people think that high cholesterol is caused by eating too much oil or greasy food. Although fatty foods can increase cholesterol, they can only affect 30% at most. 70% of cholesterol in the human body is synthesized by the body . Therefore, many people who eat a vegan diet will have excessive blood lipids.

The hyperlipidemia of most people is primary, and the specific cause cannot be found with the current medical level. Hyperlipidemia is a metabolic disorder syndrome, which is called the "three highs" chronic disease together with hypertension and diabetes. It can only be controlled by drugs, and there is no cure.

3. The role of statins

Statins are the most commonly used drugs to control LDL-C levels . Statins can inhibit cholesterol synthase, reduce cholesterol in the blood, directly reduce LDL-C levels, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

For people with atherosclerosis, the greatest danger is the rupture of atherosclerotic plaques, which causes platelet aggregation to form blood clots, leading to cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction.

While statins lower LDL-C, they can also increase the stability of plaques . When used for a long time, they can also reverse the effect of plaques, reduce the degree of arterial stenosis, prevent plaque rupture, and have a good preventive effect on myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction.

When can statins be stopped?

Many people are concerned about when statins can be discontinued. Discontinuation of statins requires one of two conditions to be met : the first is that the medication goal has been achieved, and the second is that serious adverse reactions have occurred .

The goal of statins is to lower LDL-C and prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases . Most people's LDL-C can be reduced to normal levels after taking the medicine, but this is the result of the drug's action. When the drug is stopped, it will rise again, so continuous medication is needed to control blood lipids.

For a small number of people, the goal of medication is simply to lower blood lipids. After blood lipids return to normal through lifestyle interventions such as diet control, increased exercise, and weight loss, they can try to stop taking the medication.

People with atherosclerosis need to take medication for more than 6 months at the earliest to see plaque reversal. Most people need to continue taking medication for 2 to 4 years to achieve plaque reversal. According to current research, the longer statins are taken, the greater the benefit , so it is not recommended to stop taking the medication too early, and the medication should be taken as long as possible.

During statin use, if abnormal liver function occurs, transaminases (AST, ALT) increase to more than 3 times the normal value ; or muscle soreness and fatigue occur, and creatine kinase (CK) levels increase to more than 5 times the normal value , it is recommended to stop the medication and seek medical attention, and change medications and take intervention measures under the guidance of a doctor.

To sum up, taking statins only temporarily controls blood lipids to normal, and does not mean that the disease is cured. As long as there are no serious adverse reactions, it is not recommended to stop taking statins. The longer the medication is used, the better the prevention effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The drug should be taken under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any questions about the medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.