Statins: The new wonder drugs Philippine Star 2/24/09

Statins might just prove to be real miracle drugs. They do a great job at lowering cholesterol, and they also appear to have a multitude of other medical benefits. They work by altering the metabolism of cholesterol, a complex fat that the body needs for many purposes. For example, cholesterol forms a vital component of cell membranes and nerve sheaths; it forms the basis of sex hormones; and it enables bile acids to process the food we eat. Most of the body’s cholesterol is produced by liver cells, and most of the rest comes from the food we eat.

Six different statins are currently available by prescription: atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Lovastatin), pravastatin (Lipostat), rosovastatin (Crestor), and simvastatin (Zocor). Although chemically they are nearly identical, small differences in their molecular structure are in some cases responsible for properties specific to one or two statins. In addition to lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes by reducing cholesterol, these wonder drugs can do many other things:

Statins may prevent stroke, Statins reduce deaths from respiratory diseases, Statins ameliorate heart failure, Statins help protect against heart attack, Statins may reverse coronary artery disease, Statins may prevent Alzheimer’s