Lipitor is a type of prescription medication known as a statin and it is used to treat high cholesterol. If you need medication for high cholesterol the chances are you will be taking the medication long term. You can help to lower your levels naturally by exercising and following a strict diet but depending on the severity it’s almost never enough to restore a healthy level, month after month.
Cholesterol is a type of fat found in the body, we all have it and we all need it – we just don’t want too much of it! The build-up of cholesterol can have serious effects on your health and can lead to heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. It can even lead to type 2 Diabetes. Anyone can develop high cholesterol if they follow a fatty and high calorie diet, however, it can also be genetic. If one of your parents suffers from high cholesterol then you should be extra careful: it may help you avoid being on long term medication. Regardless of genetic, it’s important to have regular check-ups and make sure you are eating a healthy balanced diet!
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is made by enzymes in the liver and around your body. It helps your body perform many metabolic actions. These include producing hormones, vitamin D and making sure that your metabolism is working correctly. It also helps produce bile which is essential for helping your body digest and absorb nutrients.
There are 2 types of cholesterol in our blood: LDL (Low density lipoprotein) and HDL (High density lipoprotein). LDL is known as bad cholesterol and HDL is known as good cholesterol. Bad cholesterol makes up most of the cholesterol we have in our bodies and when we carry too much it can block up our arteries and cause heart disease. Good cholesterol works to counter the bad cholesterol by removing it and lowering levels. Sometimes the bad cholesterol is too dominant and the good cholesterol is not able to remove enough. Find out more here.
Lowering high cholesterol
The body produces cholesterol naturally but we also eat a lot of foods that are high in cholesterol which means our body gets overloaded. High cholesterol foods often correlate to foods high in saturated fats. Avoiding these foods can help improve your cholesterol levels.
Here’s a list of high cholesterol foods to avoid:
Full fat dairy products, eggs, red meat and processed meat, deep fried foods, oily snack foods (like crisps and chips) and cakes & pastries.
Here’s a list of foods to eat happily:
Lean meat, chicken, turkey and fish (this can be fresh, processed or canned), lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, lower fat or fat free dairy products.
Here’s a list of foods that can even help naturally lower cholesterol:
Oats and high fiber foods, beans and lentils, sunflower seeds, nuts, fish high in omega 3 (salmon, mackerel and herring are good examples), olive oil and food enriched with plant sterols (these sterols help to block absorption of bad cholesterol and are sometimes added to foods like margarine)
Maintaining you cholesterol levelsÂ
A healthy person should have a total cholesterol level of less than 5.2mmol/L (200mg/dL) – the lower the better. If a person has high blood pressure, smokes heavily or has an existing heart condition then it is recommended to lower this to as much as 2.5mmol/L. Anything over 6.2mmol/L (240mg-dL) is considered very high. You can see more about Cholesterol levels here.
If you have been tested for high cholesterol then you should consider taking Lipitor to help combat the build-up and restore you cholesterol to lower levels. High cholesterol leads to heart attack, heart disease and stroke – do not leave it untreated!
Lipitor, also known around the world as Atorvastatin and Torid, contains the active ingredient Atorvastatin. Atorvastatin lowers cholesterol by blocking the production line of bad cholesterol in the blood. It can even help raise the good cholesterol levels. It is an excellent medication for this purpose and comes highly recommended by healthcare professionals.
Lipitor Risks – a note from our pharmacist
Long term statin use can cause muscular aches and pains. If this happens then a change in statin therapy might help but speak to your doctor if you are suffering from aches and pains associated with this therapy.
Taking statins together with medications that contain grapefruit is not recommended. You should also avoid drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruits. Please see our literature for more information regarding side-effects and interactions. You can download this free PDF which explains more about Lipitor and side effects.
