Updates On Statins And Their Treatment Implications

At least 35 million people in the country were taking statins during the previous year, which is almost 10% of the entire population. Pandemic progression and the decreased mobility of people due to restrictions are some of the factors that may lead to this incidence. After all, the constant lockdowns have resulted in a lot of the population’s poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and potentially harmful behaviors, such as binge drinking and smoking.

Medical experts continuously discover new concepts that can help formulate new treatments and protocols related to statin prescription and treatment. When thoroughly developed, it can improve the entire healthcare system, especially for those at risk of high cholesterol levels.

What’s In The Article?

• What Are Statins?

• What Are The New Statins Treatment Guidelines?

• What’s The Latest Update On U.S. Drugs For Statins?

• Final Thoughts

What Are Statins?

Statins, also known as anti-cholesterol drugs, are medications that mainly work by lowering the LDL (low-density lipoprotein, also known as “bad” cholesterol) levels by inhibiting the production of HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that creates cholesterol. Some groups of statins also increase the patients’ HDL (high-density lipoprotein, also known as “good” cholesterol) and decrease triglyceride levels.

Aside from this, these drugs help prevent blood clots and stabilize the plaques found on the walls of the blood vessels. By doing so, statins help significantly decrease the patient’s risk of developing conditions such as stroke and heart problems.

The following are some of the statins commonly available in the country:

• Simvastatin

• Atorvastatin

• Lovastatin

• Fluvastatin

• Pravastatin

• Pitavastatin

• Rosuvastatin

What Are The New Statins Treatment Guidelines?

Even if the patient has a heart condition, it does not automatically mean they must take statins. According to American Heart Association, healthcare professionals should consider the following conditions for using statins:

Diabetes Mellitus (DM)

These include people who are 40 to 75 years old with LDL cholesterol levels ranging from 1.8 to 4.9 mmol/L (70 to 189 mg/dL). It is important to determine if they are eligible for statin prescription, especially if they are smoking or have other conditions, such as hypertension.

Hypercholesterolemia/Hyperlipidemia

Patients under this category typically have LDL cholesterol levels of at least 4.92 mmol/L (190 mg/dL).

Cardiovascular Conditions With Atherosclerosis

People with a past or family medical history of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attacks, heart attacks, coronary artery blockages, and peripheral artery conditions are also included under this category.

One Or More Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Diseases

People with no conditions mentioned above but at high risk of having these conditions may be asked to take statins regularly. People who smoke and drink heavily may also be required to take statins and be asked to enforce lifestyle modifications.

For the first three groups, the medical professional does not need to estimate the patient's risk when developing conditions such as stroke and heart attack. Patients under these categories automatically qualify for statin prescriptions.

What’s The Latest Update On U.S. Drugs For Statins?

The following are some of the U.S. Drug Updates that may affect the considerations in prescribing statins:

• The FDA approved using Leqvio as an adjunct medication to lower LDL levels. Leqvio is administered through injection and works by improving the way the liver inhibits protein production, which causes high cholesterol levels. After the initial dose, the patient will receive the next dose in three months. The patient will then receive the succeeding doses twice yearly.

• The FDA also approved non-statin drugs that work to keep the patients’ cholesterol levels under control. Nexletol and Nexlizet are non-statin drugs containing bempedoic acid and ezetimibe, respectively. They are taken once a day for LDL cholesterol reduction. They are classified under the ACL (ATP citrate lyase) inhibitors and work by preventing cholesterol production in the liver.

• New studies postulated that giving statins to patients with diabetes mellitus may be more detrimental than beneficial. However, it doesn’t mean the patient should stop taking statins based on this sole finding. Moreover, medical professionals should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of incorporating statins in the patient’s pharmacological therapy.

Final Thoughts

Statins have been widely used in different parts of the country for the longest time. They have been used to manage symptoms related to high cholesterol levels. To this day, experts continue to learn more about this type of drug and how treatment can further be improved so professionals can better provide health care to those who need it.

To help make the most out of statins, healthcare professionals should educate patients to observe a healthy lifestyle. Like taking their medications, they should consider this a lifelong commitment to improving their current state of health. After all, treatment using statins should take a holistic approach to ensure that the patient can have a good quality of life in the long run.