Cholesterol-lowering medicines, statins - When statins may be used
- Introduction
- When statins may be used
- Cautions and interactions
- Side effects of statins
- Missed-and-extra-doses
Statins are most often recommended if you have cardiovascular disease (CVD) or have a high risk of developing it in the next 10 years.
Cardiovascular disease
CVD is a general term that describes a disease of the heart or blood vessels that is often caused by high cholesterol. It is the most common cause of death in the UK.
The main types of CVD are:
- coronary heart disease – when the blood supply to the heart becomes restricted due to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
- angina – sharp chest pain caused by coronary heart disease
- heart attacks – when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked
- strokes and transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) – when the supply of blood to the brain becomes blocked or disrupted
- peripheral arterial disease (PAD) – when a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries restricts blood supply to the limbs
Statins cannot cure these conditions, but they can help prevent them from getting worse or recurring in people who have been diagnosed with them.
They can also reduce the chance of these conditions developing in the first place in people at risk (see below).
Statins are usually used in combination with lifestyle measures such as eating a healthy diet low in saturated fat, exercising regularly, stopping smoking and moderating your alcohol consumption.
People at risk of cardiovascular disease
If you don't have any form of CVD, statins may still be recommended if you are thought to be at a high risk of developing the condition in the future.
The current recommendation is that you should be offered statins if there is at least a one in 10 chance of you developing CVD at some point in the next 10 years.
Your GP may recommend carrying out a formal assessment of your CVD risk if you are over the age of 40 and they think you may be at an increased risk of CVD, based on your personal and family medical history.
For this formal assessment, your GP or practice nurse will use special CVD risk assessment computer software that takes into account factors such as:
- your age
- your gender
- your ethnic group, as some have an increased risk of CVD
- your weight and height
- if you smoke or have previously smoked
- if you have a family history of CVD
- your blood pressure
- your blood cholesterol levels
- if you have certain long-term conditions – such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis and atrial fibrillation (a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate)
Read more about health checks for adults.
Other uses
Statins can also be used to treat people with a condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia.
This is an inherited condition caused by a genetic fault, which leads to high cholesterol levels, even in people who have a generally healthy lifestyle.
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