What effects will long-term use of atorvastatin have on the body? What are the pros and cons?

A friend left a message to Huazi, asking about the pros and cons of long-term use of atorvastatin. Huazi said that statins are the main "weapon" for humans to prevent and treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and atorvastatin is a powerful statin that is currently used more frequently. Chinese people have a higher tolerance to atorvastatin than rosuvastatin, and it is often used as the first choice for initial treatment with statins.

Based on current research, the longer you take statins, the greater the benefits.

1. Determine whether you need to take statins

We must first understand the specific effects of statins and avoid abusing 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 of atherosclerotic plaques, lowering it will have the effect of "removing the fuel from the bottom of the pot" and preventing the progression of plaques.

The danger of atherosclerosis lies in the instability of the plaque itself, which may rupture, thereby inducing platelet aggregation and forming blood clots. It is the main cause of cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction.

Statins can increase the stability of plaques, making them less likely to rupture, thereby preventing cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction. When used for a long time, they can also reduce the size of plaques and reverse the effect of plaques.

Therefore, statins are mainly used to treat hyperlipidemia with elevated cholesterol as the main symptom, and to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in people with atherosclerosis. If you do not have elevated blood lipids and are not at risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, it is not recommended to use statins, so don't just follow the trend and take them.

2. Things to pay attention to during medication

Atorvastatin is a powerful statin and a long-acting statin. Its efficacy is not affected by diet or the time of taking it. Compared with another powerful statin, rosuvastatin, atorvastatin is better tolerated, so it is often used in the initial treatment of statins.

Atorvastatin is a fat-soluble statin that can more easily enter liver cells. Therefore, during medication, attention should be paid to the effect on liver function. Liver function should be checked regularly. If transaminase (AST, ALT) exceeds the normal value by 3 times, the medication should be discontinued. After discontinuation of the medication, liver function can return to normal.

Statins may cause muscle damage. When taking atorvastatin, you also need to pay attention to whether you have symptoms of muscle pain and fatigue. If creatine kinase exceeds the normal upper limit by 5 times, you need to stop taking the drug to avoid rhabdomyolysis. But the probability of occurrence is extremely low and very rare.

Statins have an impact on blood sugar metabolism, which may cause elevated blood sugar levels, and there is a small chance that they will cause new-onset diabetes, so blood sugar levels need to be monitored during treatment. However, elevated blood sugar levels are not an indication for discontinuation of medication, and people with diabetes need to adjust their hypoglycemic medications to control their blood sugar levels.

3. The longer you take the medicine, the greater the benefit

Most people use atorvastatin to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, to effectively prevent diseases, two conditions must be met: one is to control LDL-C to the standard, and the other is to take the drug for a long enough time.

1. LDL-C reaches the standard: For people with chronic diseases, LDL-C must be below 2.6mmol/L to effectively prevent diseases. For people who have already had cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, or coronary heart disease, LDL-C must be below 1.8mmol/L to effectively prevent disease recurrence.

2. Medication duration: In relevant clinical trials, plaque reversal was observed when the medication was used for as short as 6 hours. However, most people usually need to use the medication for 2 to 4 years before plaque reversal occurs. Existing studies have shown that the longer the medication is used, the greater the benefits to the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system.

To sum up, atorvastatin is a commonly used powerful statin, mainly used for the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction. There may be adverse reactions during medication, mainly within the first 6 months of medication, but they can be restored after stopping the medication. As long as there are no contraindications to medication, the longer the medication is taken, the greater the benefit. The drug needs to be taken under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any questions about medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist. I am pharmacist Huazi. Welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.