These findings favor the safe use of
pravastatin
in patients with well-compensated chronic liver disease and hypercholesterolemia.
How much can statins raise liver enzymes?
Standard doses of statins elevate liver enzymes in
about 1 percent of patients
, usually within the first four months. The likelihood of this elevation increases in older people and in those taking other medications that might interact with statins or also raise liver enzymes.
Can you take a statin with elevated liver enzymes?
Elevated transaminase levels and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are
not contraindications to statin use
. Stable hepatitis C infection is not an absolute contraindication to statin use.
Do statins affect liver function tests?
Statins
cause dose-dependent borderline elevations of liver function tests over time
. These elevations are clinically and statistically insignificant and should not deter physicians from prescribing or continuing statins.
Which statin is best for liver?
Statin therapy like
atorvastatin (Lipitor)
, (rosuvastatin) Crestor
When should I stop taking statins for elevated liver enzymes?
Statins should not be taken if you have
severe liver disease
or if blood tests suggest that your liver may not be working properly. This is because statins can affect your liver, and this is more likely to cause serious problems if you already have a severely damaged liver.
Which statin is easiest on the liver?
Doctor’s response. Low dose statins like
atorvastatin (Lipitor)
are safe in patients with mild liver disease (for example, patients with fatty liver and mildly abnormal liver tests in the blood such as ALT and AST).
Why you should never take statins?
Very rarely, statins
can cause life-threatening muscle damage
called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). Rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low, and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins.
Why would my liver enzymes be high?
Elevated liver enzymes often
indicate inflammation or damage to cells in the liver
. Inflamed or injured liver cells leak higher than normal amounts of certain chemicals, including liver enzymes, into the bloodstream, elevating liver enzymes on blood tests.
Do statins clear the arteries of plaque?
Statins help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, in the blood.
They draw cholesterol out of plaque and stabilize plaque
, Blaha says.
Can atorvastatin affect your liver?
Atorvastatin has
been associated with liver injury
. We reported here two cases of aminotransferases elevation within 12 h of low-dose atorvastatin therapy. Liver functions were fully recovered to the baseline level 11 days after discontinuation of atorvastatin treatment.
What vitamins should not be taken with statins?
A
magnesium- and aluminum-containing
antacid was reported to interfere with atorvastatin absorption. People can avoid this interaction by taking atorvastatin two hours before or after any aluminum/magnesium-containing antacids. Some magnesium supplements such as magnesium hydroxide are also antacids.
Do statins make you age faster?
So, while these findings are interesting and potentially important, there’s quite a large leap from these studies of minced fat cells to the conclusion that being treated with
statins will lead a person to age prematurely
.
When should I stop taking statin LFTs?
If
ALT >150
: stop statin and recheck LFTs within 4 weeks to ensure values settle. If they return to normal consider re-introducing a different statin at a later date with repeat LFTs at 2, 6 and 12 weeks.
Do statins raise ALT levels?
Clinical trials have shown that
statin use has been associated with elevations in
serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in approximately 3% of persons who take the drugs.
Is liver damage from statins reversible?
People that experience statin induced liver injury have a generally positive prognosis. These injuries are
usually short-term and reversible
.
