What is the best statin to take with the least side effects?

What is the best statin to take with the least side effects?

In the analysis of 135 previous studies, which included nearly 250,000 people combined, researchers found that the drugs simvastatin (Zocor) and pravastatin (Pravachol) had the fewest side effects in this class of medications.

Is one statin better than another?

Statins also have antiproliferative effects on smooth muscle cells and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, all of which may help to reduce coronary events. Current research does not clearly suggest that one statin is better than another at causing these effects.

Which statin has the least muscle side effects?

Even though all statins look similar chemically, they have some minor differences that could impact how likely they are to cause muscle pain. Simvastatin is the most likely to cause muscle pain, and fluvastatin and pitavastatin are the least likely.

What is the safest cholesterol medicine?

In some cases, the problems will resolve simply by reducing the dose or switching to another statin, but care is required. Still, all in all, the statins are the safest and best tolerated of all cholesterol-lowering medications.

Are statins a waste of time?

A controversial new study found that high cholesterol does not shorten life span and that statins are essentially a “waste of time,” according to one of the researchers. Previous studies have linked statins with an increased risk of diabetes.

What can replace statins?

7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins

• Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis.
• Plant stanols and sterols.
• Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins.
• Niacin.
• Policosanol.
• Red yeast rice extract (RYRE)
• Natural products.

What is the alternative to taking statins?

There are many non-statin medications your doctor might prescribe: Bile acid-binding resins, like cholestyramine (Locholest, Prevalite, Questran), colesevelam (WelChol), and colestipol (Colestid) stick to cholesterol-rich bile acids in your intestines and lower your LDL levels.

What is the best natural cholesterol lowering supplement?

9 Natural Cholesterol Reducers

• Soluble fiber.
• Psyllium.
• Phytosterols.
• Soy.
• Garlic.
• Red yeast rice.
• Ginger.
• Flaxseed.

Can you take vitamin D with statins?

Vitamin D status may be considered a modifiable risk factor for muscle-related adverse effects of statins, and supplementation of vitamin D (particularly when ⩽20 ng/mL) may improve statin tolerance.

What foods are high in statins?

Fish oil. Fish — like salmon, tuna, sardines, and anchovies — are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These can help lower your triglyceride levels and provide protection against heart disease. If you don’t get enough fish in your diet, you can take daily fish oil supplements.

What foods to avoid while taking statins?

Grapefruit juice is the only food or drink that has a direct interaction with statins. Statins do not directly interact with any food but people taking statins should moderate their intake of saturated fats to help lower their LDL cholesterol and overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

What is the most popular statin drug?

Currently, atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor) are the most potent, and fluvastatin (Lescol) is the least potent. The statins also differ in how strongly they interact with other drugs.