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Protecting Your Heart
How Safe are Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs? Meet Robert Edwards: Success Story!Faced with a family history of high cholesterol, Robert Edwards, 70, of Hellertown combined an active lifestyle, low-fat diet and statins to lower his cholesterol dramatically over the last 14 years. In addition to tending to his black raspberry, strawberry and blackberry plants, the retired high school science teacher is on the road training other science teachers, has written a series of children’s books and builds six-plank cedar chests. About his diet: “It takes a lot of discipline. I eliminated white sugar and red meat, eat fruit three times a day and salmon every day for lunch.” He now takes a 20-milligram dose of his statin just four times a week. Total Cholesterol 1988: 493 “Statins can cut your LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) in half and significantly reduce your total cholesterol and triglycerides (another ‘bad’ blood fat, or lipid),” says Brown, who has a degree in pharmacology as well as medicine. “They are the first choice for millions of people with high cholesterol. But they do need to be taken properly.” Cerivastatin (Baycol) was withdrawn because it was linked with 31 fatal cases of a rare skeletal muscle disorder. The cases involved higher dosages in people of advanced age, as well as interaction with another lipid-lowering agent, Brown says. “Work with your doctor to carefully select the right statin—and the right dosage, based on your age, other medications, and the health of your kidneys and liver,” he says. It’s important to review all your medications with your primary care doctor. It’s also wise to have all your prescriptions filled from one pharmacy. “Your pharmacist helps screen for potential interactions,” Brown says. “Some statins can interact with your blood pressure medication, antibiotic or even your morning grapefruit juice.”
Want to Know More? If you want information on taking more than one prescription safely,
call 610-402-CARE. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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