|
Post by gulliver on Jan 19, 2005 13:42:09 GMT 8
a nutritionist colleague of mine said that drugs like lipitor, have negative effects on the liver(or is it the kidney?) in the long run. can anybody clarify this? something to do w/ particle size daw and the body not being able to discharg these from the system
|
|
|
Post by minotaur on Jan 19, 2005 19:02:02 GMT 8
This is a tough one... I may have to consult Mad_doc about this muna. Just to make sure we have the same thing in mind. ;D
|
|
|
Post by mad_doc on Jan 20, 2005 16:12:26 GMT 8
statins are a fairly new mode of lowering cholesterol in our system, basically it is a HmgCoA reductase inhibitor. in english it is a compound that intercepts an enzyme in the liver that manufactures cholesterol. prolonged use creates a small buildup of excess materials that your body slowly eliminates by other means. (galing ng katawan natin no?)
it has an effect on the liver (albeit minimal) so usually therapy is given only for 6 months, stopped for a month or two then you can start again. the risk to benefit ratio of keeping the gunk in your arteries down versus liver damage is very much in favor of keeping your cholesterol down.
lipitor (atorvastatin) is the most succesful statin produced in the U.S. and has started to be prescribed quite a lot here as well. they are often used with other medications like fibrates.
basta ganto statins are good for keeping LDL and VLDL's (bad cholesterol) down and helping HDL's (good cholesterol) increase... while fibrates are good for keeping triglycerides (another bad cholesterol) down
|
|
|
Post by gulliver on Jan 20, 2005 17:53:00 GMT 8
mad doc, 6 months? glad that a break from this expensive tab is forthcoming! ;D thanks for the inputs guys, always great to have some ammo to bring to the doctor's table and keep him on his feet hehehe
|
|
|
Post by minotaur on Jan 20, 2005 19:07:40 GMT 8
mad doc, 6 months? glad that a break from this expensive tab is forthcoming! ;D thanks for the inputs guys, always great to have some ammo to bring to the doctor's table and keep him on his feet hehehe yes 6 months, maybe even less if your cholesterol has lowered significantly enough. Ammo to the doctors' table? Those are the stuff my nightmares are made of. ;D
|
|