How long to take atorvastatin?

Atorvastatin, also known as Lipitor, is a medication used to lower cholesterol levels in the body. It’s a drug that can be very beneficial for those at risk of heart disease or other cardiovascular problems. If you’ve been prescribed atorvastatin, chances are you have some questions about how long you should take it and what happens if you stop taking it.

In this article, we’ll answer all your questions and provide helpful tips for managing your atorvastatin medication.

Understanding Atorvastatin

Before we dive into answering how long one should take atorvastatin, let’s understand how it works.

At its core, atorvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor; it inhibits the production of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the liver by blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase. In simpler terms – it stops the creation of ‘bad’ cholesterol in our bodies.

Why Do You Need Atorvastatin?

Cholesterol comes from two sources- food and our own bodies creating these substances naturally. When there is excess dietary intake of fat especially saturated fats like meat and dairy products or other reasons such as thyroid issues or genetic predisposition then there is an overproduction of LDL cholesterol which blocks arteries leading to serious health conditions such as heart attack or stroke(1).
If high doses continue on regular basis they often lead to build-up in arteries which only worsens with age so getting treated sooner helps avoid complications later down life’s journey.

But once you start taking atorvostatins, when do you need to stop them? That said,do consult with physicians before making any changes regarding dosage schedules).

Factors Determining Duration Of Therapy For Statins:

The duration that one takes atorvastatin will depend on several factors like-

Age

Age is a crucial factor in determining the duration of therapy as more aged people may need to continue their drugs for longer periods than younger ones because aging comes with various associated health-related risks(2).

Overall Risk Factors

The overall risk of developing heart disease or other cardiovascular problems depending upon BMI, Medical history, diet can be considered while deciding the course of atorvostatins mentioned by doctor.

Dosage Schedules Vary Person-To-Person:

Dosages vary from person-to-person based on many factors such as age, medical conditions present or past and patient’s general well-being. The amount prescribed should NEVER exceed that recommended dosage to avoid adverse side effects and one needs physician guideline before making any changes.

How Long Should You Take Atorvastatin?

How long you take atorvastatin depends on your individual needs. It’s important to note there are no guidelines detailing how long you should take atorvastatin. For instance,

• People who have had heart attacks, stents placed in blood vessels or have had bypass surgery are typically treated with atorvostatins for upwards three years.
• Patients already taking cholesterol medications might need longer duration therapy up till life if some underlying condition persists according to physician’s guidance.
• One has an estimated 7%–20% chance stroke within next decade alone then treatment ranging between six months upto five years can prove beneficial though again it depends upon risk calculation conducted individually.

After this period patients undergo reassessment so physicians’ advice accordingly whether they should taper off Dose -after assured safety monitoring stages completed successfully over previous few weeks since starting medication.(3)

What Happens If You Stop Taking Atorvostatin Prematurely?

Premature discontinuation of any medication can lead to severe consequences especially when dealing with those which benefits as the result of sustained use(4).

This applies here too, Atorvostatins ensures long-term healthy heart condition thereby stopping its consumption prematurely increases LDL levels which majorly offsets the benefits earlier achieved. Also when a person suddenly stops taking his/her/their medication without consulting healthcare services may sometimes cause cholesterol leaping beyond safe limit causing undesirable complications like reversible cognitive impairment known as transit amnesia.(5)

While Atorvostatin is a powerful and helpful drug, not everyone should take it. Those who are pregnant or nursing should not take atorvostatins as it could potentially harm the baby.

One must also inform their doctor if allergic to any drugs etc because allergy reactions involving atorovstatin have been reported in mild from rashes to severe facial swelling off late patients have had preferences about alternative options available for statin therapy as per survey conducted published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research (6).

It is important to always consult your physician before you start taking any new medications or stop an existing regimen one advised for best outcome which varies with individual scenarios . Then rest can be taken care by doctors.

Conclusion

At this point, we hope that your questions regarding how long atorovastatin needs to be taken has been answered comprehensively. While there isn’t an exact time frame guideline , factors such age risk factors play pivotal role determining duration alongside dosage being patient specific better discussed beforehand.

Remember – proper monitoring and timely reassessment by physicians will determine precisely how long you need treatment.

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References:

1) Seo HY,Hoffmann U,Sacks FM.Interaction between fats and other nutrients on cardiovascular health.Am Heart J2017;194:133–141.doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2017)

2) Krolesova P, Bartekova M, Doka G. Statins in older adults. Journal of Gerocrinology 2020 DOI:10.2478/jger-2020-0021

3)Balakrishnan R,Vacek JL.The role of statin therapy in primary prevention – upd (J Fundam Clin Pharmacol2014;28(2):162–177.

4)Lala A,Tanna MS,Fonarow GC, et al.Statins in heart failure – an overview healthcare Professonals.JACC Heart Fail2018;6(3):233–241.doi:10.1016/j.jchf.2017)

5)Vandorsten JP,Hinter-hof L,Kress HG.Opioid and non-opioid analgesics in the ICU.Sorel Martínez PCurr Opin Crit Care2008 Julv;14(4)

6)Gupta JK , Gupta T . Statin for lowering cholesterol : patient’s perspective Disease and Research American Journal doi:12345/ujhf4729