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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : May 3, 2014 2:08 PM IST
The Indian Express reported a study which revealed that individuals taking statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) tend to gradually raise their consumption of fat and calories.
It's a 12-year study on statin use involving 27,886 men and women participating in a 24-hour dietary recall interview for cholesterol levels and body mass index. It was found that statin use increased from 7.5 per cent in 1999 to 16.5 per cent in 2010 in the group of participants. The cholesterol levels reduced in statin users but their daily calorie intake raised by 9 per cent, and fat consumption increased by 14.4 per cent. Non-users did not show any significant changes in either measure. Body mass index raised in statin users by 1.3 compared with an increase of 0.4 in the non-user group. The effect was seen despite control over factors like age, race, education and conditions like of diabetes and high cholesterol. (Read: Is it necessary to take statins for preventing heart diseases?)
How do statins work? How they prevent heart disease?
'Cholesterol is a type of fat made by our body. It's essential for good health and is found in every cell in the body. However, if you have too much 'bad' cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) in your blood, it can cause fatty deposits to build up on the walls of your arteries. This is known as atherosclerosis a condition that narrows your arteries.
Statins work by reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol your body makes. They do this by blocking an enzyme in your liver needed to produce cholesterol. This slows down the production of cholesterol by your liver. By reducing cholesterol, statins can help to reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke or developing peripheral arterial disease.
There is some evidence to suggest that statins may also work in a number of other ways to help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
One promising benefit of statins appears to be their anti-inflammatory properties, which help stabilise the lining of blood vessels. This has potentially far-reaching effects, from the brain and heart to blood vessels and organs throughout the body.
What precautions should a person take while on statins?
'Too much of a good thing can be bad, but too little of a bad thing can be even worse. So, first of all, patients on statins should have regular blood tests to monitor their lipid levels,' says Dr Bela Sharma, senior consultant, internal medicine, FMRI.
Other important things to remember:
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