Why would a patient not want to take statins?

Fear of side effects and perceived side effects are the most common reasons for declining or discontinuing statin therapy. Willingness to take a statin is high, among both patients who have declined statin therapy and those who have never been offered one.

Why are doctors against statins?

While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people who take them and may rarely cause liver damage.

When would you not give a statin?

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

The most important thing your doctor will keep in mind when thinking about statin treatment is your long-term risk of a heart attack or stroke. If your risk is very low, you probably won't need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L).

What are the risks of not taking statins?

Some 8.5% of them had a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, within four years – versus 7.6% of those who continued taking statins. And 6.6% of patients who stopped taking statins died of all causes, versus 5.4% of those who kept taking them.

When should statins be stopped in elderly?

Adults age 75 and older may not need statins.

Many older adults have high cholesterol. Their doctors usually prescribe statins to prevent heart disease. But for older people, there is no clear evidence that high cholesterol leads to heart disease or death.

Study Confirms What Many Patients Taking Statins Have Said for Years | NBC Nightly News

Why do cardiologists push statins?

Because many factors are involved, your cholesterol numbers may be considered normal and yet you may still be found to be at an elevated risk for heart problems. As a result, statin medications are now used to lower the risk of heart disease and heart events in most anyone found to be at high risk.

What is the new cholesterol drug that is not a statin?

Bempedoic acid (Nexletol) and bempedoic acid/ezetimibe (Nexlizet) are the ATP citrate lyase (ACL) inhibitors that are currently available. These are newer medications approved to lower LDL cholesterol in a different way than other cholesterol medications.

What is an alternative to statins?

Ezetimibe. Ezetimibe is a tablet that lowers cholesterol. It may be prescribed if statins cannot be taken, or alongside a statin for extra cholesterol-lowering. It's a 'cholesterol absorption inhibitor' that limits the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine.

What is a natural alternative to statin drugs?

For patients who can't tolerate cholesterol-lowering statins, natural remedies like bergamot, garlic and green tea may be a useful alternative, based on a recent statement published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Can you reduce cholesterol without statins?

Eat less fatty food

To reduce your cholesterol, try to cut down on fatty food, especially food that contains a type of fat called saturated fat. You can still have foods that contain a healthier type of fat called unsaturated fat. Check labels on food to see what type of fat it has in it.

Why did Europe ban statins?

The controversy in the United Kingdom started in 2013 when the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claimed statins were being overprescribed to people with low risk of heart disease, and that the drugs' side effects were worse than previously thought.

Are statins absolutely necessary?

If your 10-year risk of having a heart attack or stroke is greater than 10 per cent, you will be asked to consider taking a statin. Most doctors also recommend statins for people who have diabetes. The risks, as with all medicines, include possible side effects.

Who should not be prescribed statins?

Statins should not be taken if you have liver disease or if blood tests suggest that your liver may not be working properly. This is because statins can affect your liver, and this is more likely to cause serious problems if you already have a damaged liver.

Can you get off statins once you start?

If you're taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to keep taking your prescription, or your cholesterol will likely go back up. Stopping your statin can put you at risk of having heart disease and other preventable health problems like stroke and heart attack from high cholesterol.

Can statins weaken the heart?

Context: Heart failure (HF) is rapidly increasing in incidence and is often present in patients receiving long-term statin therapy.

Are statins hard on your heart?

Statins don't just lower cholesterol levels but also reduce the risk of fatty plaques breaking off from walls of your arteries, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

What are the pros and cons of statins?

Are statins more harmful than helpful?

Researchers warn that unless a patient is at high risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, statins may cause more harm than good'.

Should I be afraid to take statins?

There is no reason to be afraid of taking statins if you are at high risk for heart attack or stroke. What's really scary is the amount of inaccurate information out there that keeps so many people from getting the protection they need!

What happens if you have high cholesterol and don't take medication?

High amounts of cholesterol can build up inside your arteries. This can clog and narrow your arteries so blood can't flow easily. Blood clots can form, break away, and cause a stroke or heart attack. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol.” If your LDL level is too high, you're at greater cardiac risk.

Can you live with high cholesterol without medication?

Most people can lower high cholesterol with lifestyle changes, like prioritizing heart-healthy foods, quitting tobacco products, exercising regularly, and sleeping enough. Making changes to lower your cholesterol might mean you don't need to take cholesterol medication anymore (or deal with the side effects).

What foods immediately lower cholesterol?

Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods

Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your LDL cholesterol.

What to do if you don't want to take statins?