Can rosuvastatin be taken in pieces? My cholesterol is lower now and I don't want to take so many medicines.

A friend told Huazi that he had high blood pressure and atherosclerotic plaques in his carotid arteries. To prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, the doctor asked him to take 5 mg of rosuvastatin per day to reduce his low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to 1.8 mmol/L. He has been taking the medicine for 3 months, and his LDL-C level was rechecked and is now 1.78 mmol/L.

He asked Huazi, "Now that his LDL-C has reached the target, but I am a little worried that taking too much medicine will cause side effects. Can I split the rosuvastatin tablet and take only half of it?"

1. Rosuvastatin can not only lower cholesterol. Many people who take statins have the same problem as this friend. They are eager to treat the disease at the beginning of the disease, and after controlling the blood lipid level, they are eager to reduce the dosage. Huazi said that when taking statins, it is not recommended to reduce the dosage at will, because all statins, including rosuvastatin, not only lower cholesterol, but also fight against the process of atherosclerosis, stabilize plaques, and reduce the risk of plaques.

1. Lower cholesterol: Statins can competitively bind to cholesterol synthase to inhibit the production of cholesterol. At the same time, statins can also upregulate LDL receptors on the cell surface and accelerate the decomposition and metabolism of LDL in plasma, so they have a very good control effect on LDL-C levels.

2. Delaying atherosclerosis: LDL-C is the main "raw material" of atherosclerotic plaques. After entering the arterial intima, LDL-C will produce oxidation, inflammatory stimulation and other reactions. After being swallowed by macrophages, it forms foam cells and deposits in the arterial intima, forming the lipid core of the plaque. Atherosclerosis will continue to progress, so the plaque will continue to "grow". When the LDL-C level is reduced, the progression of atherosclerosis can be prevented or delayed.

3. Reduce the risk of plaques: The danger of atherosclerotic plaques lies mainly in their instability. The surface of the plaque is not covered by the normal vascular endothelium, but a layer of fibrous cap. Under the influence of factors such as arterial contraction, spasm, and blood flow flushing, the fibrous cap may rupture. When the plaque ruptures, platelets will be activated and aggregated to form thrombi, causing blockage of blood vessels.

Statins can counteract the oxidation and inflammatory reactions produced by LDL-C, improve the metabolism of the vascular endothelium, and after long-term use, they will change the internal structure of the plaque, increase the density of the plaque, reduce the size of the plaque, and reverse the plaque. They can transform unstable plaques into stable plaques and prevent plaque rupture. They have a good preventive effect on myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction.

2. It is not recommended to reduce the dosage of statins at will. 70% of the body's cholesterol comes from self-synthesis and 30% comes from dietary intake. If dietary intake is reduced, self-synthesis will increase accordingly. The reason why most people have excessive cholesterol is that their body lipid metabolism is disordered. Even if they are completely vegetarian, it is difficult to reduce cholesterol to the standard range. For people at risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, the requirements for LDL-C levels are lower.

The current clinical requirement for LDL-C is that people with chronic diseases but no heart or brain diseases should keep it below 2.6mmol/L; those who have already suffered from myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction and other diseases should keep it below 1.8mmol/L; for people with extremely high risk, it should be kept at 1.4mmol/L. There is a view that the lower the LDL-C, the greater the benefit.

Most people take statins to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. When taking statins for a long time, the lower the LDL-C level, the greater the effect of reversing plaques and the better the protective effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. If the dosage of statins is reduced, LDL-C will increase and the efficacy will decrease.

Therefore, for people who take statins, it is not recommended to reduce the dosage as long as there are no intolerable adverse reactions. Unless taking a lower dose can also produce a good effect of lowering LDL-C. At this time, you can consider breaking rosuvastatin into half a tablet a day.

To sum up, for people who need to take rosuvastatin, it is not recommended to reduce the dosage even if the cholesterol level is lowered. Because dyslipidemia cannot be cured, continuous medication is required to control the LDL-C level. After reducing the dosage, the LDL-C level will rise again, and sufficient dosage must be maintained to play a better role in protecting the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system. The selection and dosage adjustment of drugs need to be carried out under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any questions, please consult a doctor or pharmacist in time. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.