High cholesterol levels: Why taking your medicine diligently is more effective than changing your diet

No one likes the idea of ​​taking pills every morning. Take cholesterol-lowering drugs or statins, for example. To get rid of them, many patients with high cholesterol tend to believe that dietary changes and other lifestyle changes alone can work. Interestingly, when it comes to lowering cholesterol levels, being diligent with your medication is far more beneficial than quitting wag beef. A local study by SingHealth Polyclinics (Shp) found “adherence to medication as a very serious factor” compared with other factors considered such as race, diet, How much? Professor Tan Hay Cheek, senior counselor in the Department of Cardiology at the National University Heart Center, Singapore, who is not part of the study, provided the following explanation: Food: 10 to 20 percent Exercise: 5 percent Exercise and diet: 10 to 20 percent Medication (oral): 30 to 50 percent Medication (oral and rejectable): Up to 85 percent Dr Tan Nigap Chuan, who led the study and director of research at Shp, said the findings could lead doctors to prioritize starting or adjusting treatment with their patients. "We usually focus on other aspects of lifestyle first. We can change the order now."exercise and smoking.Statins are also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and "work in the liver to prevent cholesterol from building up and lowering the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood". "They are very effective in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, but they also help lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good) cholesterol," said Prof Tan. In addition to statins, a new injection class has emerged in recent years. They offer alternative therapies for patients “who are unable to meet their target cholesterol levels, who do not tolerate statins, or who are unable to adhere to conventional therapies,” says Prof Tan. Related: How to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels: Experts explain why your diet or exercise may not work This includes PCSK9 inhibitors (such as evolocumab and alirocumab), which are injected once every two weeks. There is also RNA or a small disruptive siRNA, which requires an injection under the skin only once every six months. These siRNAs include inclisiran, which has recently been approved by the Singapore Health Sciences and the US Food and Drug Administration, says Prof Tan. "Injections can be used in combination with oral medication."Unfortunately, statins are often cut to find bad media on social media, says Prof Tan, or "proven to be effective in preventing heart attack, stroke and death - even among low-risk patients". It has led patients to develop an “unfounded fear” of statin-related side effects, he said. Here, Prof Tan addresses some of the common misconceptions patients have about statins: CHAPTER 1: Doctors prescribe statins like everyone else (Photo: Stock / photo) Statin is widely used as it satisfies two important functions in disease control: Prevents the onset of the disease before it starts; and to reduce the severity or impact of the disease if it already exists “by stopping its progress and preventing recurrence,” says Prof Tan. "Indeed, patients at lower risk of heart attack and stroke will benefit less from taking statins," he said. But "among medical professionals, there is little doubt that statins are effective in high-risk patients". Having said that, statins are not randomly determined. According to Prof Tan, patients are usually initiated studies only if they satisfy any of the following criteria: Atherosclerotic heart disease. This means that the patient has a blockage already in the heart, brain or any arteries in the circulatory system. Diabetes mellitus. Especially those who have been living with diabetes for more than 10 years. High LDL cholesterol. Above 190mg / dL (4.9mmol / L). As a deterrent. These are patients who do not have a fixed heart disease but who have many risk factors that increase their chances of developing the disease in the future. TIP 2: Once you start using statins, you should be on them for the rest of your life (Photo: Stock / Hailshadow) This is true, however. The cholesterol-lowering benefits provided by statins will continue as long as you take the medication, says Prof Tan. "The effect of cardio protection is lost when statins are stopped." You would not think of stopping your medication if you stopped for more than a year. Perhaps the most important question is: What are the effects of being on statins over time? “Studies have shown that statins are safe and well tolerated. They have been used for over 30 years to lower cholesterol. In fact, statins work best if you take them for a long time, ”said Prof Tan.