The main role of statins is to reduce cholesterol in the blood, and it has a good effect in preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Of course, this type of drug also has certain side effects. First, patients must follow the doctor's advice in terms of medication and should not take it by themselves. The main side effects are some gastrointestinal irritation, which may cause indigestion, stomach bloating, stomach pain, and other conditions. Let's take a look at the side effects of statins.

I. Side Effects of Statins

Statins do have certain side effects. The side effects of using different types of statins are also different. Atorvastatin is a commonly used drug, and its main side effects are gastrointestinal reactions, drug allergies, liver damage, and severe muscle breakdown. In addition, statins may cause flatulence, indigestion, and abdominal pain, and some may also cause dermatomyositis, fever, photosensitivity, forgetfulness, excessive dreaming, and low libido. Please take medication under the guidance of a doctor in a standardized and reasonable manner.

II. Pharmacological Effects

1. Lipid-regulating effect: statins have a significant lipid-regulating effect, with the strongest effect on reducing LDL-C, followed by TC, and a small effect on reducing TG, while HDL-C increases slightly. Statins have a similar chemical structure to HMG-CoA and have thousands of times higher affinity with HMG-CoA reductase than HMG-CoA. Therefore, they competitively inhibit hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase, blocking cholesterol synthesis.

2. Non-lipid-regulating effects: statins can improve endothelial function, inhibit the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, inhibit platelet aggregation and antithrombotic effects, etc., which are beneficial for preventing the formation of atherosclerosis or stabilizing and reducing atherosclerotic plaques.

III. Scope of Application

Statins are suitable for patients with hypercholesterolemia and mixed hyperlipidemia with a predominance of cholesterol elevation. They are used for the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and the delay of atherosclerosis.