What are statins? Is it necessary to take statins to control blood lipids?

Statins were first used in clinical practice in 1987. To date, they are still the first choice for treating hypercholesterolemia and one of the important drugs for preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, and their main functions are to lower blood lipids, improve endothelial function, and fight inflammation. There are a wide range of statins, including atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin, etc. The type of statin that a specific patient should use depends on the doctor's assessment of the patient's physical condition.

Blood lipids include triglycerides, cholesterol and other substances. Cholesterol is very important because it is an important cause of the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Controlling cholesterol has a positive effect on preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The lower the low-density lipoprotein index in cholesterol, the lower the chance of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, people with abnormal blood lipids or cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should insist on taking statins to regulate blood lipids. In addition, some patients have maintained their blood lipids at normal levels after taking statins for a long time. At this time, they cannot stop taking the medicine without authorization, and they must take the medicine under the scientific guidance of a doctor.

The reason why statins can regulate blood lipids: Most of the cholesterol in the human body is produced by the body itself, and the cholesterol absorbed from food is very low. The key to controlling cholesterol is to prevent our body from producing too much cholesterol. Statins can inhibit the activity of HMG-CoA reductase in the early stages of cholesterol synthesis, prevent the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonic acid, hinder the synthesis of endogenous cholesterol in the liver, and reduce the level of low-density lipoprotein in the blood. At the same time, statins can slightly reduce triglyceride levels and slightly promote the increase of high-density lipoprotein

Some people may experience side effects such as abnormal liver function and muscle soreness after taking statins, but in most cases these side effects are relatively mild and can be resolved under the guidance of a doctor. Only a very small number of people have serious adverse reactions to statins. Therefore, whether to take statins requires a careful assessment of the pros and cons, and cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach.

Statins have side effects, but health supplements do not. Can health supplements replace statins? No, health supplements are not drugs, cannot adjust blood lipids, and are ineffective in preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It is not recommended that patients use health supplements instead of statins.

Statins are the first choice for preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Although there are other lipid-lowering drugs in clinical practice, their efficacy is not as good as that of statins. The clinical status of statins cannot be replaced by other drugs. Unless patients have serious adverse reactions to statins, it is not recommended to replace statins with other drugs.