What Are Statins?

Who Might Be Prescribed Statins?

A statin may be recommended for people who:

• Have had a heart attack, stroke, angioplasty, stent or heart bypass surgery
• Have LDL-cholesterol of 190 or higher
• Are age 40 – 75 and have type 2 diabetes
• Are age 40 – 75 and at high-risk for heart attack or stroke

A statin may be right for you even if you are not in one of these groups. Discuss your risk factors and medication options with your healthcare provider.

Statin Side Effects

Most people take statins with no issues. However, some may experience the following side effects:

• Muscle aches, pain or weakness
• Digestive problems
• Liver issues
• High blood sugar or diabetes (rare)

Side effects are more common and may be more severe in people with the following risk factors:

• Age over 80
• Female
• Asian ethnicity
• Kidney or liver disease
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Hypothyroidism or neuromuscular disorders
• Family or personal history of muscle problems
• Drinking lots of grapefruit juice
• Taking medicines that interact with statins

If you are taking statins and having side effects, talk to your healthcare provider. Do not stop taking your medication unless advised to do so by your doctor.

Talking to Your Doctor About Side Effects

There are several ways to help manage potential side effects from a statin. You and your doctor will work together to find the right amount and type of medicine that works best to lower your risk for a heart attack or stroke.

As a first step, your doctor will ask you describe your symptoms in detail as this can help identify if the statin is causing the problem. Consider:

• Where and when you feel discomfort.
• When your symptoms started.
• Anything that makes your symptoms better or worse.

When developing a plan to help manage side effects, your doctor may:

• Review your medicines, vitamins and supplements as these can affect how well a statin works.
• Order bloodwork to check your liver, kidney or thyroid function.
• Ask you to stop taking the statin for a short time and then begin taking it again to see if the problem goes away or comes back again.
• Reduce the dosage or change the frequency and/or timing of your statin medication.
• Prescribe a different type of statin.

Statin Alternatives

If your statin doesn’t lower your LDL cholesterol levels enough, or if you can’t take a statin at all, your doctor may prescribe one of the following non-statin medications:

• Ezetimibe is a tablet taken every day.
• PCSK9 inhibitors are injections given every other week, once a month or once every six months.
• Bempedoic acid is a tablet taken every day.
• Bile acid sequestrants come in pill or powder form and are taken once or twice a day, before meals.